Purpose To examine the outcome of
vitrectomy for
macular edema associated with
branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and determine the relationship between the severity of
macular edema and the concentration of
vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF) and
interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the vitreous fluid. Design Prospective observational case series. Patients and Methods Thirty-four consecutive patients (34 eyes) with
macular edema associated with BRVO underwent
vitrectomy.
Retinal thickness was examined using optical coherence tomography.
VEGF and
IL-6 levels in the vitreous fluid were determined by
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay. The patients were followed for 6 months and longer after surgery. Results Visual acuity and the
retinal thickness at 6 months after operation were significantly improved (P = 0.0042 and P < 0.0001, respectively). There was a significant positive correlation between the vitreous levels of
VEGF and improved level of the severity of
macular edema. The vitreous levels of
VEGF were significantly higher in patients who showed greater improvement in the severity of
macular edema (r = 0.4277, P = 0.0116). The vitreous levels of
IL-6 were not significantly correlated with improvement in the severity of
macular edema (r = 0.1996, P = 0.2578). Conclusion
Vitrectomy appears effective for treatment of
macular edema with BRVO. A higher
VEGF level in the vitreous fluid may be associated with greater improvement of
macular edema with BRVO.