Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone Implant (IDI) in reducing neovascularization in eyes affected by Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) and fluorescein angiography (FA)
Methods :
This interventional case series study included 8 eyes of 7 patients with PDR, affected by PDR and active new vessels (NV). All study eyes showed diabetic macular edema (central macular thickness >300 microns). A 700 micrograms slow release intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®) was injected in the vitreous cavity of study eyes. All eyes were evaluated with fluorescein angiography (FA) at baseline (T0) and T5 (3 months later). OCT angiography (OCTA) was performed at T0, T1 (6 hours), T2 (24 hours), T3 (1 week), T4 (1 month), T5 (3 months later, respectively). Quantitative planimetric analysis (QPA) of NV area was carried out before and after treatment with FA and OCTA
Results :
Reduction in new vessels caliber was observed in all the study eyes leading to a reduction in the area of neovascularization. The reduction of the area carried to a significant upgrading in BCVA reported in all eyes at the end of the follow up
Conclusions :
Intravitreal dexamethasone Implant (IDI) may be a suitable terapeutical option to Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Steroids seems to have a powerful effect on DME but also on VEGF inibition.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.