Subcutaneous Nadroparin Calcium in the Treatment of Recent Onset Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Optimal management of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is still a
matter of debate. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether
nadroparin calcium may play some role in the treatment of recent onset (≤3 weeks'
duration) RVO. Methods: Twenty-four RVO patients were treated with subcutaneous
nadroparin calcium (200 I.U./kg/day) for 6 weeks. Best corrected visual acuity
(BCVA) and macular thickness in the affected eye were measured at baseline, and
after 3 and 6 months. Twenty-four RVO patients treated with oral pentoxifylline,
matched for age, gender, RVO type, eye involvement, and BCVA at presentation,
randomly selected from the RVO register, were used as controls. Results: Median
BCVAs at baseline, month 3, and month 6 were 20/70 (range: 20/1,000-20/20), 20/40
(range: 20/100-20/20), and 20/30 (range: 20/200-20/20) in cases and 20/70 (range:
20/1,000-20/20), 20/60 (range: 20/320-20/25), and 20/60 (range: 20/500-20/20) in
controls. Differences between groups were statistically significant at months 3
(P=0.025) and 6 (P=0.024). In the study group, the mean macular thickness was
510±207 μm at baseline, 384±198 μm after 3 months, and 313±170 μm after 6 months.
Differences between baseline and months 3 and 6 were statistically significant
(P=0.004 and P<0.001). Conclusions: Results suggest that nadroparin calcium might
become a potential candidate for the treatment of RVO. Larger trials are
necessary to confirm these preliminary findings.