ASSESSMENT OF HYPERREFLECTIVE FOCI AFTER BEVACIZUMAB OR DEXAMETHASONE TREATMENT ACCORDING TO DURATION OF MACULAR EDEMA IN PATIENTS WITH BRANCH RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

Purpose: To evaluate the association between hyperreflective foci (HRF) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography and therapeutic effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) or intravitreal dexamethasone implants (IVD) according to macular edema (ME) duration in branch retinal vein occlusion. Methods: Consecutive treatment-naive patients received IVB or IVD for at least 6 months. Each group was subdivided according to ME duration (<3 months vs. ≥3 months). Hyperreflective foci and best-corrected visual acuity were compared. Results: Of 139 eyes (139 patients), 69 received IVB and 70 received IVD. At baseline, eyes with ME ≥ 3 months had more outer and total retinal HRF than eyes with ME < 3 months ( P < 0.001 and P = 0.001). At 6 months, the IVD group exhibited a greater reduction in outer retinal HRF than the IVB group in both ME duration subgroups ( P = 0.015 and P < 0.001). In the ME ≥ 3 months group, IVD resulted in greater best-corrected visual acuity improvement than IVB ( P = 0.017). Conclusion: Increased outer retinal HRF at baseline in eyes with ME ≥ 3 months together with a greater reduction in HRF at 6 months and better visual outcomes after IVD suggests that the inflammatory aspect of disease should be considered in the treatment of ME. Thus, IVD injection could be more appropriate for patients with a longer ME duration after branch retinal vein occlusion.