Abstract
Purpose :
To report the efficacy and safety of Dexamethasone intravitreal implant in diabetic macular oedema (DMO) patients within 6 months of treatment
Methods :
Notes of a total 40 eyes for 28 patients who received inravitreal Dexamethasone 0.7 mg implant for diabetic macular oedema were reviewed. Demographic data were recorded. We recorded changes in visual acuity, central macular thickness CMT (assessed by optical coherence tomography OCT), intraocular pressure IOP, history of simultaneous phacoemulsification and intraocular lens IOL implant, we documented previous treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and complications within 6 months after Dexamethasone injection.
Results :
All the patients have type II Diabetes, mean age was 68 years (46-85), 71% of patients were males, 29% were females. The mean best corrected visual acuity BCVA changed from 0.38 ± 0.49 Log MAR to 0.18 ± 0.25 Log MAR (P value = 0.037) 3-6 months after treatment. CMT changed from 491 ± 156 μm before treatment to 422 ± 137 μm (P value = 0.001) after 3-6 months of treatment. All patients were pseudophakic at the time of the injection. Fifteen (37.5 %) of them had combined phacoemulsification and IOL implant plus Ozurdex intravitreal injection at the same setting. The IOP fluctuated between 15-21 mm Hg among the studied patients. Four of the patients (10%) were naïve and 36 (90%) did have multiple intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections before their treatment. No significant complications were recorded in the studied cases.
Conclusions :
Dexamethasone intravitreal implant was shown to be effective and safe in treating diabetic macular oedema for both naïve and previously treated patients with anti-VEGF injections. Limiting factor for improving the vision was the nature of our patients, they already have permanent structural retinal pigment epithelial RPE changes prior to treatment that is related to the chronicity of their conditions. Further studies with larger samples and longer durations are recommended.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.