Visual outcome in patients of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) with macular edema after one injection of intravitreal biosimilar ranibizumab

Abstract

: This study aims to determine the effects of intravitreal biosimilar ranibizumab injection on best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) in patients of branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) with macular edema. : A retrospective, unmasked, and data-based study was conducted on 50 patients of BRVO with macular edema, who presented to our OPD over a period of 2 years. Cases in our study received one intravitreal injection of biosimilar Ranibizumab (0.5 mg/0.05 ml) at presentation and were followed up one month after injection. The data was collected from patients and available records. The data regarding BCVA and CMT (by Optical Coherence Tomography) before and 1 month after treatment was recorded and analyzed statistically.: In this study, we included fifty eyes of fifty patients. The mean patients’ age (in years) was 53.08 ± 9.58. There were 24 (48%) male and 26 (52%) female patients. The baseline mean BCVA ± SD (logMAR) was 0.79 ± 0.16 and mean CMT ± SD (in µm) was 688.14 ± 98.41 before treatment. Mean BCVA (logMAR) and mean CMT (in µm) after one biosimilar ranibizumab injection, at 1-month follow-up, were 0.33 ± 0.13 and 307.18 ± 34.97 respectively. We used paired t-test to compare mean BCVA and mean CMT before and after injection, and we found a statistically significant difference (p-value of <0.001) for both. None of the patients experienced any significant ocular and systemic adverse effects on post-op day 1, and at 1 month.: Intravitreal biosimilar ranibizumab is an effective and safe therapy for patients of BRVO with macular edema and results in improvement of BCVA and decrease in CMT. Biosimilar injection has also reduced the cost of treatment leading to an increase in patients’ compliance.