Comparison of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant and Intravitreal Ranibizumab Efficacy in Younger Patients with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the effects of dexamethasone (DEX) implants and ranibizumab (RAN) injections in younger patients with macular edema due to branch retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in a 6-month follow-up. METHODS: The treatment-naive patients with macular edema secondary to branch RVO were included retrospectively. Medical records of patients who were treated with intravitreal RAN or DEX implant were evaluated before and at the 1(st), 3(rd), and 6(th) months after the injection. Primary outcome measures were the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05/3=0.016, according to the Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Thirty-nine eyes of 39 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the study population was 53.82±5.08 years. Median BCVA in the DEX group (n=23) at baseline, 1(st), 3(rd), and 6(th) month was 1.1, 0.80 (p=0.002), 0.70 (p=0.003), and 1 (p=0.018) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (log-MAR), respectively (p<0.05). Median BCVA in the RAN group (n=16) at baseline, 1(st), 3(rd), and 6(th) months was 0.90, 0.61, 0.52, and 0.46 logMAR, respectively (p<0.016 for all comparisons). Median central macular thickness (CMT) in the DEX group at baseline, 1(st), 3rd, and 6th months was 515, 260, 248, and 367 μm, respectively (p<0.016 for all comparisons). Median CMT in the RAN group at baseline, 1(st), 3(rd), and 6(th) months was 432.5 (p<0.016), 275 (p<0.016), 246 (p<0.016), and 338 (p=0.148) μm. CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference in treatment efficacies in both visual and anatomical outcomes at the end of the 6th month. However, RAN can be considered the first choice in younger patients with macular edema secondary to branch RVO because of the lower side effect profile.