Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Non-Arteritic Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: Efficacy of Combined Treatment with Anterior Chamber Paracentesis

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) for the treatment of non-arteritic central retinal artery occlusion (NA-CRAO, CRAO). Materials and Methods: The records of patients diagnosed with CRAO between January 2017 and April 2023 at XXX Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Treatments and detailed ophthalmological examination findings at the baseline and post-treatment follow-up of the patients were recorded. After ocular massage and acute antiglaucomatous treatment; the patients were divided into 3 groups, as group 1 received HBO therapy after anterior chamber paracentesis (ACP), group 2 received only HBO therapy, group 3 received only ACP. Data were analysed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 22 program using non-parametric tests. Results: Thirty-four patients with a median age of 72 (28-92), 12 (35.3%) women and 22 (64.7%) men, were included in the study. There were 10, 14, and 10 patients in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The groups were similar in terms of age, gender, systemic diseases and time of admission (p >0.05). In groups 1, 2 and 3: baseline median visual acuity (VA) was 2.3 (2.3-3.0), 2.3 (1.3-3.0), and 2.3 (1.3-3.0) logMAR (p =0.573); the median VA at last visit was 1.9 (0.3-3.0), 1.9 (0.3-3.0), and 2.5 (1.3-3.0) logMAR (p =0.624), respectively. Only in group 1, the final VA increased significantly from baseline (p =0.035), while no significant change in VA was observed in the other groups (p =0.138 and p =0.786 for groups 2 and 3, respectively). Final VA was moderately positively correlated with baseline VA (r =0.425, p =0.012) and moderately negatively correlated with time of admission (r =-0.381, p =0.026). Conclusion: HBO therapy combined with ACP applied in the early period in the treatment of CRAO positively affects the visual prognosis. © © 2024 The author(s).