A randomized, double-masked study on the treatment of retinal vein occlusion with troxerutin

Hemorheologic factors probably play a role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of retinal vein occlusion. Accordingly, we designed a prospective, randomized, double-masked study to evaluate the effect of troxerutin, a rheologic drug, on retinal vein occlusion. Fifty-three patients were included, 27 with central retinal vein occlusion and 26 with branch retinal vein occlusion. They were randomly assigned for treatment with either troxerutin or a placebo. All subjects were similar in age, gender, associated diseases, hemorheologic values, and clinical severity of the retinal vein occlusion. At the end of follow-up, members of the troxerutin-treated group, as compared with the placebo group, showed significant improvement in visual acuity (P = .03), macular threshold (P = .01), retinal circulation times (P = .04), and macular edema (P = .05). Furthermore, they had diminished progression of ischemia (P = .05) and decreased red blood cell aggregability (P = .006) when compared with the controls. These encouraging preliminary results obtained with a rheologic treatment attest to the pathogenic role of blood viscosity in retinal vein occlusion and suggest that a large-scale randomized study should be conducted.