Reflectivity of the retinal cystoid space and visual outcome after intravitreal ranibizmab injection in diabetic macular edema

Abstract

Purpose : To determine the association between reflectivity of the retinal cystoid space evaluated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual outcome after intravitreal ranibizmab (IVR) monotherapy in diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods : We reviewed clinical records of 24 eyes in 24 DME patients who received a single IVR and thereafter pro re nata (PRN) injections for 11 months. The reflectivity score of the retinal cystoid space in the horizontal OCT image including fovea was evaluated using ImageJ software comparing the reflectivity levels of vitreous (set as 0) and the nerve fiver layer (set as 100) at baseline. Transverse lengths of disrupted ellipsoid zone (EZ) in the OCT images were analyzed at baseline and 1 year after IVR treatment. Correlations between the baseline reflectivity, and the improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) or the disrupted EZ, at year 1 were statistically analyzed using multiple regression models.

Results : Baseline reflectivity of the retinal cystoid space was 0.03-43.6 (average16.9+13.2), and had a significant negative correlations with improvement in BCVA (P=0.04, 95% CI -0.02 to -0.0002) and improvement of EZ (P=0.04, -43.8 to -0.51).

Conclusions : Reflectivity of the retinal cystoid space at baseline may be a possible predictive factor for treatment outcome after IVR treatment in DME.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.