Better prognosis for eyes with preserved foveal depression after intravitreal ranibizumab injection for macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion

Purpose: To determine the prognosis of eyes with central retinal vein occlusion that had a preserved foveal depression at the baseline and were treated by intravitreal ranibizumab injections (IRIs). Methods: The authors reviewed the medical records of 23 eyes of 23 consecutive treatment-naive patients who received IRIs to treat the macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion. Eyes were classified by the pre-IRI presence or absence of a foveal depression. A foveal depression was defined as a central foveal thickness that was <50 m thinner than the average thickness at 200 m temporal and nasal to the central fovea. The characteristics of the two groups were compared. Results: Seven of 23 eyes had a preserved foveal depression before the IRI. The mean number of injections within 12 months after the initial IRI was significantly fewer (P < 0.001) in eyes with foveal depression (1.6 ± 0.5) than in eyes without foveal depression (4.3 ± 1.3). The mean best-corrected visual acuity at 12 months after the initial IRI was significantly better (P = 0.003) in eyes with foveal depression (0.10 ± 0.17 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] units; 20/25 Snellen units) than in eyes without foveal depression (0.77 ± 0.54 logMAR units; 20/118 Snellen units). Conclusion: These results indicate that the prognosis is better for eyes with a foveal depression before the IRI treatment for a macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion.