Aqueous levels of erythropoietin in acute retinal vein occlusion with macular edema

AIM:To investigate the aqueous erythropoietin(EPO)levels and associated factors in patients with acute retinal vein occlusion(RVO).METHODS:The aqueous EPO level was measured in patients with macular edema(ME)secondary to acute branched retinal vein occlusion(BRVO)or central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO).Aqueous fluid from cataract patients served as the control.We also evaluated whether aqueous level of EPO was associated with factors such as serum EPO level,non-perfusion area,central macular thickness(CMT),and arterio-venous(AV)transit timeRESULTS:Twenty-seven RVO patients(16 BRVO,11CRVO)and 9 control subjects were enrolled in the study.The aqueous EPO level(mU/mL)was higher in RVO(68.2±54.3)than that in the control subjects(12.9±5.9).More specifically,the aqueous EPO level was higher in CRVO(118.9±52.1)than that in BRVO(33.3±10.8).However,no differences were found in serum EPO levels among three groups.CMT in RVO patients had a positive correlation with the aqueous EPO level(r=0.66).Also,in terms of non-perfusion area,the aqueous EPO levels were more elevated in the ischemic subgroup than in the non-ischemic subgroup in both BRVO and CRVO.CONCLUSION:Aqueous EPO levels are elevated in patients with macular edema secondary to recent onset RVO.Patients with CRVO have higher EPO levels than those with BRVO.The aqueous EPO level in RVO has a positive correlation with CMT and is associated with non-perfusion area.These results suggest that the aqueous EPO level could be associated with retinal ischemia and may be involved in the pathogenesis of macular edema secondary to RVO.

Dexamethasone intravitreal implant for diabetic macular edema in a pregnant patient

Dear Editor,We present a case of dexamethasone（DEX）intravitreal implantation（Ozurdex~;Allergan,Irvine,CA,USA）to treat diabetic macular edema（DME）during pregnancy.According to Pescosolido et al,pregnancy may promote the onset of diabetic retinopathy in about 10%of cases and may contribute to its worsening when already present,causing macular edema.Although one report has indicated that DME during pregnancy spontaneously regresses after delivery,others have reported that DME can persist and be associated with severe and persistent visual dysfunction.