Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2018 , Vol 21, Issue 4
PROGNOSIS AFTER EARLY HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY IN GERIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CENTRAL RETINAL ARTERY OCCLUSION
Osman ÖNDAŞ1, Erdinç BOZKURT2
1Atatürk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Erzurum, Turkey
2Kafkas University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Kars, Turkey
DOI : 10.31086/tjgeri.2018.63 Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate the results of early hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in patients 65 years and older with Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

Materials and Method: The files of patients who presented with CRAO between February 2010-June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Age, gender, time between symptom onset-first HBOT session, other treatments, follow-up period, intraocular pressure(IOP), visual acuity(VA) were reported. Color fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography, optic coherence tomography (OCT) were done. HBOT was initiated in the first 8 hours after visual symptom onset. Wilcoxon test was used in statistical analysis, P<0.05 accepted as statistically significant.

Results: 20 eyes of 20 patients with CRAO were included to the study. Thirteen (65%) of the patients were male, 7(35%) female; mean age was 65-87(76.3±9.6) years. Ocular massage, antiglaucomatous drops, acetylsalicylic acid, oral acetazolamide, mannitol (i.v) treatments were applied. Anterior chamber paracentesis was performed. All patients had HBOT within the first 8 hours, 20 sessions of HBOT (2.4atm, 120min) were applied. Time between symptom onset-first HBOT session was 5.3 hours. Follow-up time was 16.3 months. IOP was 12.23±3.41mmHg before treatment, 12.97±5.58mmHg after treatment. VA was 1.92±3.26 (logMAR) at presentation, 1.1±7.80 after treatment (p<0.01). VA improved in 13 eyes (65%), unchanged in 6 eyes(30%), decreased in 1 eye(5%). In OCT examination, mean macular thickness was 358 ?m at presentation, 177 ?m at 6 months after treatment (p<0.01).

Conclusion: In patients 65 years of age and older with SRAT; HBOT results are quite satisfactory if it is initiated within the first 8 hours. Keywords : Retinal artery occlusion; hyperbaric oxygenation; Aged