Abstract
Purpose :
To compare the treatment outcomes of treat and extend (T&E) versus relaxed pro re nata (PRN) regimens of ranibizumab in treating diabetic macular edema (DME).
Methods :
Patients who received a T&E regimen of ranibizumab with 3 loading doses for the treatment of DME were retrospective recruited as the study group. Those who received a relaxed PRN regimen with follow-up intervals of 2 to 3 months after the 3 loading doses and were matched to the cases in the study group by baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central subfield thickness (CST) were enrolled as the control group. The change in BCVA and CST at Month 24, standard deviation of BCVA and CST between Month3 and Month 24, and injection numbers were compared between two groups.
Results :
There were 34 eyes from 34 patients in each group. The mean logMAR of BCVA improved from 0.72 ± 0.33 at baseline to 0.40 ± 0.29 at Month 24 in the T&E group, and improved from 0.71 ± 0.31 at baseline to 0.54 ± 0.41 at Month 24 in the relaxed PRN group. The visual improvement in the T&E group was better than that in the relaxed PRN group through Month 6 to Month 24 (P < 0.05 for all). The mean injection numbers during the first year and during the second year were 7.6 ± 1.8 and 3.6 ± 1.9, respectively in the T&E group, and were 4.9 ± 1.5 and 1.3 ± 1.2, respectively, in the relaxed PRN group (P < 0.05 for both). The standard deviation of CRT in the T&E group (39.7 ± 38.0 μm) was less than that in the relaxed PRN group (67.0 ± 74.9 μm) (P = 0.027).
Conclusions :
The T&E regimen of ranibizumab resulted in better visual improvement and less fluctuation of CRT than the relaxed PRN regimen in treating DME.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.