Efficacy of Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis for Acute Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Meta-Analysis

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The best management strategy still remains strong controversy for acute nonarteritic central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). We thus performed a meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT) for visual improvement according to different times from symptom onset. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We searched EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science for relevant studies assessing efficiency of IAT in patients with CRAO compared with standard therapy. Fixed-effects and random-effects models were performed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Five eligible studies including 459 patients with acute CRAO were pooled in the meta-analysis. In all, 219 (47.7%) received IAT, and the mean time from symptom onset to IAT was 13 h. The pooled analysis demonstrates odds ratio (OR) for the procedure of IAT and any visual improvement to be 1.520 (95% confidence intervals [CIs] 1.258–1.837; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). Subgroup analyses further indicated that the CRAO patients who received IAT achieved any visual improvement more easily within 6 h from symptom onset (OR = 1.703, 95% CI 1.219–2.381; <i>p</i> = 0.002), but not those beyond 6 h (OR = 1.260, 95% CI 0.973–1.632; <i>p</i> = 0.080). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our meta-analysis of available published data supports IAT to be an alternative treatment option for CRAO patients within 6 h from symptom onset.