Correlation Between BCVA, Anatomic Outcomes Identified in Eyes with RVO-ME

Barbara A. Blodi, MD

New research assessed the relationship between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and anatomic features in patients diagnosed with macular edema (ME) related to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

The findings indicate a clinically relationship between BCVA and both optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography in the patient population in addition to central subfield thickness (CST).

Led by Barbara A. Blodi, MD, Retina Research Foundation Daniel M. Albert Chair, McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, a team of investigators performed a post-hoc analysis of 3 clinical trials.

The trials included verified diagnoses, protocol refractions, and the assessment of OCT and fluorescein angiography images at a masked reading center. The included participants were those diagnosed with RVO-ME.

Investigators performed correlation analyses to determine the correlation between BCVA and macular anatomy at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks and between changes from baseline to 12 and 24 weeks. They identified the main outcomes as the correlations between BCVA and central subfield thickness (CST), ellipsoid zone (EZ) integrity, intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid, central leakage and ischemia.

In a population of 828 eyes with RVO-ME, data show the mean age, BCVA, and CST at baseline was 64.7 years, 51.1 letters, and 656.9 μm, respectively. At baseline, investigators observed a moderate negative correlation between BCVA and CST (r = –0.56, P <.001).

Moreover, at weeks 12 and 24, the mean BCVA of eyes with definitely abnormal EZ was statistically significantly worse than that of eyes with normal EZ. A moderate negative correlation was reported between changes in BCVA and changes in CST at week 12 (r = –0.35, P <.001), with a similar degree of association noted at week 24 (r = –0.35, P <.001).

Eyes that showed any improvement in central IRF showed a greater improvement in BCVA than eyes with no improvement worsening at weeks 12 (463 eyes, 18.3 letters vs. 177 eyes, 13.0 letters, respectively; P <.001) and 24 (332 eyes, 20.2 letters vs. 131 eyes, 13.3 letters, respectively; P <.001).

Investigators added that with respect to the correlation between baseline BCVA and fluorescein leakage or capillary nonperfusion, the Pearson correlation coefficients were -0.41 (P <.001) and –0.16 (P = .060), respectively.

“In addition to CST, there are important clinically relevant relationships between BCVA and both OCT and FA anatomic features in patients with RVO-ME,” Blodi concluded.

The study, “Anatomic Biomarkers of Macular Edema Associated With Retinal Vein Occlusion,” was published in Ophthalmology.