Efficacy and Safety of Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis in Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) for acute central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). METHODS: Records from 101 CRAO patients treated with either IAT (n = 57) or standard treatment (ST; n = 44) were retrospectively reviewed. ST consisted of ocular massage and intraocular pressure-lowering agents. We used fundoscopic and angiographic findings to categorize CRAO as incomplete (diminished visual acuity [VA] with slight retinal edema, slight cherry-red spot), subtotal (severe VA reduction, cherry-red spot, distinct retinal edema), or total (massive edema, occluded perimacular arterioles, additional choroidal blood flow interruption). One-month and final best-corrected VA (BCVA) of the IAT group were compared with those of the ST group. Early (≤3-day) and final (1-month) reperfusion (improvement of retinal perfusion) rates were compared between groups. Subgroup analyses were performed according to CRAO stage. RESULTS: Overall, VA did not significantly differ between groups, but early reperfusion was greater in the IAT group (74.1% vs. 42.9%, P = 0.005). In incomplete CRAO, the IAT group exhibited greater visual improvement after 1 month (1.08 ± 0.21 vs. 0.23 ± 0.26 logarithmic values of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR], P < 0.001) and at the final visit (1.08 ± 0.53 vs. 0.08 ± 0.57 logMAR, P < 0.001). However, in subtotal and total CRAO, no significant differences in visual outcomes were observed between groups. IAT resulted in clinically insignificant cerebral infarcts, detectable on brain imaging, in 8% of patients. Hemorrhagic transformation was not noted. CONCLUSIONS: The IAT treatment may provide early restoration of retinal perfusion and offer functional benefits in the management of incomplete CRAO.