AIM: To investigate the clinical effect of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in patients with nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion(RVO)combined with severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 66 patients(66 eyes)with nonischemic central retinal vein occlusion combined with severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in our hospital from December 2017 to December 2018. 30 of the patients(30 eyes)received intraocular anti-vascular therapy with Lucentis and retinal laser irradiation therapy combined with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation(observation group). Totally 36 patients(36 eyes)only received intraocular anti-vascular therapy with Lucentis and retinal laser irradiation therapy(control group). The differences of the best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and retinal thickness at lesion sites were compared and analyzed between two groups before treatment and at the 1mo, 3mo and 6mo after treatment.

RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences of both retinal thickness and BCVA between two groups at different time points(P<0.05). Both retinal thickness and BCVA of the observation group were lower than those of the control group at the 3 and 6mo after treatment(P<0.01). There was no significant difference between the retinal thickness of the 3mo after treatment and that of the 6mo after treatment in the control group(P>0.05), while there were significant differences of retinal thickness between two groups of the other time points in the control group or any two groups of the time points in the observation group(P<0.05); BCVAs of the 1, 3 and 6mo after treatment were significantly lower than that of before treatment in the observation group(P<0.05), while the BCVAs of the 3, 6mo after treatment were significantly higher than that of the 1mo after treatment in the control group(P<0.05), but no significant difference of BCVA was observed between any two group of the other time points in the observation group or control group(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation is beneficial for patients with nonischemic(RVO)combined with severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome to improve the therapeutic effect.