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.