Risk Factors for Aggravation of Myopic Retinoschisis after Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection in Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the factors associated with the development and progression of retinoschisis in patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 54 eyes with myopic CNV treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections. We compared optical coherence tomography findings at baseline and final follow-up visits to assess the occurrence and progression of retinoschisis. Furthermore, we analyzed potential risk factors associated with the occurrence and progression of retinoschisis.Results: During a mean follow-up of 42.82 ± 27.12 months, retinoschisis worsened in 11 eyes (20.3%), including 7 eyes with new-onset disease and 4 with progression. The aggravated group demonstrated a significantly longer baseline axial length compared to the non-aggravated group (31.21 ± 2.52 μm vs. 29.21 ± 1.64 μm, p = 0.011). Univariate logistic regression analysis identified axial length (p = 0.041) and pre-existing outer retinoschisis (p = 0.018) as potential predictors of retinoschisis aggravation. In a multivariate analysis, axial length remained significantly associated with retinoschisis aggravation (p = 0.038, odds ratio = 2.63).Conclusions: Our study emphasized that a longer axial length is a risk factor for the development or progression of retinoschisis in myopic CNV patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections. Therefore, closer monitoring during treatment may be warranted for myopic CNV patients with long axial length at baseline.