Risk factors for an atherothrombotic event in patients with diabetic macular edema treated with intravitreal injections of bevacizumab

AIM:To identify risk factors for an atherothrombotic event(ATE)among patients who were treated for diabetic macular edema(DME)with intravitreal bevacizumab injections.METHODS:This retrospective study enrolled all consecutive patients with DME who were treated by intravitreal bevacizumab from 2009 through 2016 in a single center.They were divided into one group treated by bevacizumab and subsequently had an ATE and a second group also treated by bevacizumab and did not have an ATE.RESULTS:A total of 455 patients with DME were enrolled.Seventy-two of the patients had an ATE.A multivariate model adjusted for age,gender,smoking,body mass index,hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),duration of diabetes,creatinine,and blood pressure revealed an increased risk for ATE in the patients with diabetic duration of more than 13 y,a systolic blood pressure over 153.5 mm Hg at first treatment,or having been treated by more than 4 intravitreal bevacizumab injections.Additionally,patients that had an ATE within 3 mo from the last intravitreal treatment underwent more bevacizumab injections(5.2±3.4 vs 3.07±1.86;P<0.001).CONCLUSION:The risk factors for an ATE identified in this study are systolic blood pressure>153.5 mm Hg,a history of diabetic mellitus for more than 13 y,and treatment with more than 4 intravitreal bevacizumab injections.These factors need to be borne in mind when bevacizumab is being considered in the management of patients with DME.

Intravitreal triamcinolone versus intravitreal bevacizumab for diabetic macular edema:a meta-analysis

AIMTo compare the efficacy of the sole intravitreal triamcinolone (IVT) versus intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) alone or IVB combined with IVT in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).

Comparison of intravitreal bevacizumab and triamcinolone acetonide theraphies for diffuse diabetic macular edema

AIM: To compare therapeutic effects of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide(IVTA) versus intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB) injections for bilateral diffuse diabetic macular edema(DDME). METHODS: Forty eyes of 20 patients with bilateral DDME participated in this study. For each patient, 4 mg/0.1 m L IVTA was injected to one eye and 2.5 mg/0.1 m L IVB was injected to the other eye. The effects of injection for diabetic macular edema(DME) were evaluated using best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT) by optical coherence tomography(OCT)and intraocular pressure(IOP) by applanation tonometer.Patients underwent eye examinations, including BCVA,CMT, and IOP at pre-injection, 1, 4, 8, 12 and 24 wk after injection. During the follow-up, second injections were performed to eyes which have CMT greater than 400 μm at 12 wk for salvage therapy.RESULTS: BCVA(logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) at pre-injection, 1, 4, 8, 12 and 24 wk after injection was 0.71 ±0.19, 0.62 ±0.23, 0.63 ±0.12, 0.63 ±0.13,0.63±0.14 and 0.61±0.24 in the IVTA group and 0.68±0.25,0.61 ±0.22, 0.60 ±0.24, 0.62 ±0.25, 0.65 ±0.26 and 0.59 ±0.25 in the IVB group, respectively. CMT(μm) at pre-injection,1, 4, 8, 12 and 24 wk after injection was 544 ±125, 383±96,335 ±87, 323 ±87, 333 ±92, 335 ±61 in the IVTA group and514 ±100, 431 ±86, 428 ±107, 442 ±106, 478 ±112, 430 ±88 in the IVB group respectively. Reduction ratios of mean CMT were 29% at 1wk, 38% at 4wk, 40% at 8wk, 38% at12 wk, and 38% at 24 wk in the IVTA group. Second IVTA injections were performed to the 6 eyes(30%) at 12 wk.Reduction ratios of mean CMT were 16% at 1wk, 17% at4wk, 14% at 8wk, 7% at 12 wk, and 16% at 24 wk in the IVB group. Second IVB injections were performed to the15 eyes(75%) at 12 wk.CONCLUSION: This study showed earlier and more frequent macular edema recurrences in the eyes treated with bevacizumab compared with the ones treated with triamcinolone acetonide. Triamcinolone acetonide was found to provide more efficient and long-standing effect in terms of reducing CMT compared with the bevacizumab.

Comparison of intravitreal bevacizumab with macular photocoagulation for treatment of diabetic macular edema: a systemic review and Meta-analysis

AIM: To further evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB) versus macular photocoagulation(MPC) in treatment of diabetic macular edema(DME) by Meta-analysis. METHODS: Pertinent publications were identified through systemic searches of Pub Med, Medline,EMBASE, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to 30 November, 2013. Changes in central macular thickness(CMT) in μm and best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA) in log MAR equivalents were extracted at 1, 3, 6,12 and 24 mo after initial treatment, and a Meta-analysis was carried out to compare results between groups receiving IVB and MPC.RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trial(RCTs) and one high-quality comparative study were identified and included. Our Meta-analysis revealed that both IVB and MPC resulted in the improvements of CMT and BCVA in eyes with DME at 1mo after initial treatment, with IVB being significantly superior to MPC(P =0.01 and 0.02,respectively). The improvements of both measure outcomes at 3, 6, 12 and 24 mo after treatment did not vary significantly between the IVB groups and MPC groups(CMT at 3mo, P =0.85; at 6mo, P =0.29; at 12 mo,P =0.56; at 24 mo, P =0.71; BCVA at 3mo, P =0.31; at 6mo,P =0.30; at 12 mo, P =0.23; at 24 mo, P =0.52). However,the number of observed adverse events was low in all studies.CONCLUSION: Current evidence shows IVB treatment trends to be more effective in improvements of macular edema and vision in eyes with DME at an earlier follow up(1mo) compared with MPC. At other time, both interventions have comparable efficacy without statistical significances.

Improvement of visual acuity based on optical coherence tomography patterns following intravitreal bevacizumab treatment in patients with diabetic macular edema

AIMTo report the visual outcome based on various patterns of optical coherence tomography (OCT) morphology in diabetic macular edema (DME), following treatment with anti-VEGF intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection.

Navigated laser in diabetic macular edema: the impact of reduced injection burden on patients and physicians-who wins and who loses?

We inquired the impact of reduced therapy discontinuation in diabetic macular edema(DME) on physician's revenue considering anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) monotherapy and its combination with Navilas treatment. Data were collected on injection frequency, treatment discontinuation and reimbursement fees for DME treatment with anti-VEGF compared to anti-VEGF in combination with navigated laser. Based on these data an economic model was built to compare physicians revenue over a 5y period using either therapy for 4 European countries and the USA. Due to patients' higher therapy adherence, physicians using navigated laser therapy with anti-VEGF generate similar or higher revenues compared to VEGF monotherapy in all analyzed countries. The use of Navilas decreases the patient's injection burden at the same clinical outcome, while the physician's revenue remained stable or increased. Therewith, therapy discontinuation in DME can be reduced using the combination therapy with Navilas.

Intravitreal therapy for the management of diabetic retinopathy:A concise review

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a serious microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and may result in irreversible visual loss.Laser treatment has been the gold standard treatment for diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy for many years.Of late,intravitreal therapy has emerged as a cornerstone in the management of DR.Among the diverse pharmacotherapeutic options,anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents have demonstrated remarkable efficacy by attenuating neovascularization and reducing macular edema,thus preserving visual acuity in DR patients.

Effect of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab-chitosan nanoparticles on retina of diabetic rats

AIM:To investigate the effects of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab-chitosan nanoparticles on pathological morphology of retina and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)protein and VEGF mRNA in the retina of diabetic rats.·METHODS:Seventy-two 3-month aged diabetic rats were randomly divided into 3 groups,each containing 24animals and 48 eyes.Both eyes of the rats in group A were injected into the vitreous at the pars plana with 3μL of physiological saline,while in groups B and C were injected with 3μL(75μg)of bevacizumab and 3μL of bevacizumab-chitosan nanoparticles(containing 75μg of bevacizumab),respectively.Immunohistochemistry was used to assess retinal angiogenesis,real-time PCR assay was used to analyze the expression of VEGF mRNA,and light microscopy was used to evaluate the morphology of retinal capillaries.·RESULTS:Real-time PCR assay revealed that the VEGF mRNA expression in the retina before injection was similar to 1 week after injection in group A(P】0.05),while the VEGF mRNA expression before injection significantly differed from those 4 and 8 weeks after injection(P【0.05).Retinal expression of VEGF protein and VEGF mRNA was inhibited 1 week and 4 weeks after injection(P【0.05)in group B,and the expression of VEGF protein and VEGF mRNA was obviously inhibited until 8 weeks after injection(P【0.05)in group C.Using multiple comparisons among group A,group B,and group C,the VEGF expression before injection was higher than at 1,4 and 8 weeks after injection(P【0.05).The amount of VEGF expression was higher 8 weeks after injection than 1 week or 4 weeks after injection,andalso higher 1 week after injection compared with 4 weeks after injection(P【0.05).No toxic effect on SD rats was observed with bevacizumab-chitosan nanoparticles injection alone.·CONCLUSION:The results offer a new approach for inhibiting angiogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and indicate that the intravitreal injection of bevacizumab inhibits VEGF expression in retina,and bevacizumabchitosan nanoparticles have a longer duration of action.

Short-term outcomes after the loading phase of intravitreal bevacizumab and subthreshold macular laser in non-center involved diabetic macular edema

AIM： To compare the effectiveness of intravitreal bevacizumab and subthreshold macular photocoagulation （SMP）, for the treatment of non-center involved diabetic macular edema （non-CI DME）. METHODS： Prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study included patients with type 2 diabetes, non-CI DME and best-corrected visual acuity （BCVA） of 0.30 logMAR or better. Each eye was randomized into three groups： group 1, monthly intravitreal bevacizumab; group 2, single SMP; group 3, single SMP and monthly bevacizumab. Main outcome measures were BCVA, and macular thickness measured with optical coherence tomography as macular central subfield thickness （CST）, macular area of greater thickness （MAGT） and total macular volume （TMV）. Results were analyzed after 3mo. RESULTS： A total of 32 eyes were included. Group 3 improved in BCVA （0.19±0.16 to 0.12±0.14 logMAR; P=0.041） and in TMV （7.90±0.57 to 7.65±0.73 mm3; P=0.025）. Group 1 improved in MAGT （325±26.26 to 298.20±44.85 μm; P=0.022） and TMV （7.79±0.57 to 7.50±0.56 mm3, P=0.047）. Group 2 didn’t show significant improvement of any variable. CONCLUSION： The loading phase of bevacizumab as monotherapy or combined with SMP is superior to SMP as monotherapy in providing short-term visual and anatomical improvement in non-CI DME.

Bevacizumab for the management of diabetic macular edema

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision loss in the working-age population and is relatedto 1%-5% of cases of blindness worldwide. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most frequent cause of DR vision loss and is an important public health problem. Recent studies have implicated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in DR and DME pathogenesis, as well as provided evidence of the benefits of anti-VEGF agents for the management of such conditions. Despite the benefits of intravitreal ranibizumab injection for the management of DME, the cost-effectiveness of intravitreal bevacizumab therapy has gained increasing interest in the scientific community. This review summarizes the studies examining bevacizumab for the management of DME, focusing on the efficacy and duration of the clinical benefits of decreasing DME and the improvement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). There is strong evidence that intravitreal bevacizumab injection therapy has a good cost-effective profile in the management of DME and may be associated with laser photocoagulation; however, its clinical superiority in terms of the duration of DME regression and the improvement of BCVA compared with intravitreal ranibizumab and other intravitreal anti-VEGF therapies remains unclear and deserves further investigation.

Macular laser photocoagulation with or without intravitreal triamcinolone pretreatment for diabetic macular edema： a result from five randomized controlled trials

AIM：To assess possible benefits of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide（IVTA）injection as pretreatment for macular laser photocoagulation（MLP）in patients with diabetic macular edema（DME）.·METHODS：Published randomized controlled trials（RCTs）concerning MLP with or without IVTA pretreatment for DME were retrieved from databases CNKI,Medline,EMbase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library.A Meta-analysis on eligible studies was conducted using Rev Man 5.0 software.Two investigators independently assessed the quality of the trials and extracted data.Main outcome measures included the change in best-corrected visual acuity（BCVA）,difference in central macular thickness（CMT）and adverse events reporting in particular elevated intraocular pressure within the follow-up period.The results were pooled using weight mean difference（WMD）or odds risk（OR）with their corresponding 95%confidence intervals（CI）.A fixed-or random-effect model was employed depending on the heterogeneity of the inclusion trials.·R ESULTS：Finally,five independent RCTs were identified and used for comparing MLP with IVTA pretreatment（131 eyes）with MLP alone（133 eyes,control group）.The overall study quality was relatively higher according to the modified Jadad scale.The Metaanalysis showed that MLP with IVTA pretreatment significantly reduced CMT at one,three and six months（=0.002,0.0003 and 0.04,respectively）,compared with MLP alone.The IVTA pretreatment group showed statistically significant improvements in BCVA at the one-month follow up as compared with the control group（=0.03）.At three-and six-month follow up,there was a beneficial trend towards improving visual acuity in the IVTA pretreatment group without statistical significance between groups（=0.06 and 0.20,respectively）.The incidence of elevation of intraocular pressure was significantly higher in the IVTA pretreatment group than in the control group（〈0.0001）.No evidence of publication bias was present according to Begg’s test and Egger’s test.There was a low level of heterogeneity in the included studies.·CONCLUSION：This Meta-analysis indicates that MLP with IVTA pretreatment has a better therapeutic effect in terms of CMT reduction and earlier（1mo）visual improvement for patients with DME as compared with MLP alone.Further confirmation with rigorously welldesigned multi-center trials is needed.

Association of urinary albumin excretion with central foveal thickness and intravitreal conbercept treatment frequency in patients with diabetic macular edema

AIM: To investigate the effect of albuminuria on diabetic macular edema(DME) and the possible association between baseline urinary albumin excretion(UAE) and intravitreal conbercept(IVC) treatment frequency in DME patients. METHODS: In this hospital-based retrospective study, a total of 350 in-patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited and their clinical records were reviewed. Thereafter, 52 patients identified with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR) combined with albuminuria were divided into the microalbuminuria(UAE 30-300 mg/24 h) and macroalbuminuria(UAE>300 mg/24 h) groups, which were compared and analyzed by both independent sample t-test and Chi-square test. Correlations between the systemic variables and the central foveal thickness(CFT) were evaluated using Spearman’s correlation and linear regression analyses. Of the 52 patients with centerinvolved DME, 43 received an initial combined injection of conbercept(0.5 mg/0.05 mL) and triamcinolone acetonide(1 mg/0.05 mL), followed by an IVC injection, as needed. The relationship between baseline UAE and number of IVCinjections during the first year of treatment was analyzed using Spearman’s partial correlation.RESULTS: Of 350 patients, a higher incidence of DME was observed in severe non-proliferative retinopathy(NPDR) patients than that observed in other groups. By dividing the 52 patients with severe NPDR into the micro-and macro-albuminuria subgroups, significant differences in CFT, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and serum creatinine levels, and UAE were revealed. Furthermore, a positive liner correlation between the UAE and CFT was found. Finally, the partial correlation coefficient adjusted for either the CFT or UAE indicated that both parameters directly correlated with the number of IVC injections administered during the 12 mo of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Generally, macular edema occurred in patients with severe NPDR, for whom the UAE is an independent risk predictor of DME. The baseline UAE and CFT predicted the treatment frequency of IVC injections administered in the first year for eyes with DME.

An eighteen-month follow-up study on the effects of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant in diabetic macular edema refractory to anti-VEGF therapy

AIM： To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of dexamethasone implants in subjects affected by diabetic macular edema（DME） resistant to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） therapy.METHODS： Thirty-two DME patients were enrolled.A700 microgram slow release Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant（Ozurdex~） was placed in the vitreous cavity.All patients were followed for 18 mo.Best-corrected visual acuity（BCVA） measured with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study（ETDRS） and central macular thickness（CMT） exams were carried out at baseline（T0）and after 1（T1）,3（T3）,4（T4）,6（T6）,9（T9）,12（T12）,15（T15）,and 18mo（T18） post injection. RESULTS： Repeated measures ANOVA showed an effect of treatment on ETDRS（P〈0.0001）.Post hoc analyses revealed that ETDRS values were significantly increased at T1,T3,T4,T9,and T15（P 〈0.001） as compared to baseline value（T0）.At T6,T12,and T18,ETDRS values were still statistically higher than baseline（P〈0.001 vs T0）.However,at these time points,we observed a trend to return to baseline conditions.ANOVA also showed an effect of treatment（P 〈0.0001）.CMT decreased significantly at T1,T3,T4,T9,and T15（P〈0.001）.At T6（P〈0.01）,T12 and T18（P〈0.001） CMT was also significantly lower than T0 although a trend to return to the baseline conditions was also observed.CONCLUSION： Our findings demonstrate that Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant is a good option to improveBCVA and CMT in DME patients resistant to anti-VEGF therapy.Our data also show that the use of drugs administered directly into the vitreous allows achieving appropriate and long-lasting concentration at the site of disease without systemic side effects.

Subthreshold micropulse laser versus intravitreal anti-VEGF for diabetic macular edema patients with relatively better visual acuity

AIM:To compare the effects of yellow(577 nm)subthreshold micropulse laser(SML)and intravitreal(IV)anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment in patients with diabetic macular edema(DME)with relatively better visual acuity[best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)≤0.15 log MAR].METHODS:The medical records of 76 eyes of 47 patients underwent IV(0.5 mg)anti-VEGF injection or SML for the DME with relatively better BCVA were reviewed.The IV group received three consecutive monthly IV anti-VEGF injections,then were retreated as needed.The laser treatment group was treated at baseline and 3 mo,and then retreated at 6 and 9 mo if needed.All participants were followed up for one year.The mean BCVA and mean central macular thickness(CMT)values changes over the follow-up were evaluated.RESULTS:Twenty-four and 23 patients were assigned to the SML and IV subgroups,respectively.The mean number of treatments was 3.64±0.76 in SML group and 5.85±1.38 in IV group(P<0.05).The subgroups were similar with regard to the mean BCVA score at baseline and at the 1st and 3rd months,but the score of SML group was better than that of IV group at the 6th,9th,and 12th months(P<0.05).The decrease in the mean CMT values from baseline values was higher in SML group at the 6th,9th,and 12th months(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Yellow SML treatment is superior to IV anti-VEGF injection in DME patients with relatively better BCVA for increasing visual acuity and decreasing CMT at 6,9,and 12 mo.SML can be a good alternative first-line therapy for DME with BCVA≤0.15 log MAR.

Dexamethasone intravitreal implant(Ozurdex) in diabetic macular edema: real-world data versus clinical trials outcomes

AIM: To investigate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal dexamethasone implants(Ozurdex?/DEX) in patients with diabetic macular edema(DME) either na?ve or nonna?ve to anti-VEGF therapies who switched to DEX implant independent of response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factors(anti-VEGFs).METHODS: This was an audit retrospective review of medical records of patients with DME who switched to the DEX intravitreal implant. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients na?ve to antiangiogenic therapy and patients who were previously treated with anti-VEGFs. Data regarding demographics, changes in mean best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT), and intraocular pressure(IOP) was collected over 6 mo. The demographic data mean changes in BCVA, CMT, and IOP were compared. Six-month follow-up data of 47 patients(57 eyes), who either switched to DEX implant irrespective of response to previous treatments or were treatment na?ve before receiving DEX implant, was collected.RESULTS: Improvement in mean BCVA was observed from 1-4 mo after injection with a decreased effect at month 6 as expected, with better outcomes in na?ve compared to non-na?ve patients. A statistically relevant decrease in mean CMT was observed during the follow-up period. An increase in mean IOP was observed in the first 2 mo after DEX therapy. The mean number of injections of the overall population during the 6 mo was 1.3. A subgroup analysis showed no relevant difference between phakic versus pseudophakic patients relative to measured outcomes. There was no cataract progression during the follow-up period and no adverse events reported.CONCLUSION: This real-life setting study shows that intravitreal DEX implant is effective and safe. The timings of greater therapeutic impact are concordant with previous studies and suggest that earlier treatment with corticosteroids may have an additional benefit in na?ve patients.

Different Dosages of Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide Injections for Macular Edema Secondary to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Purpose:.To study the effect of intravitreal injections of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for the treatment of macular edema secondary to central retinal vein occlusion.(CRVO).in a sample of Chinese patients from Shaanxi province. Methods:.The 50 eyes from 50 patients were separated into three TA treatment groups:.17 patients were given 4 mg/0.1 ml,.19 patients were given 8 mg/0.2 ml,.and 14 patients were given 16 mg/0.4 ml. Patients were followed up for 12 months. Foveal thickness, intraocular pressure (IOP), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were measured. Results:.Macular edema responded well both anatomically and functionally to the TA injections. After the initial intravitreal injection,.macular edema recurred at 2-4 months in the low-dose group.(4 mg),.at 3-5 months in the medium-dose group (8 mg), and at 6-9 months in the high-dose group (16 mg)..No significant difference in BCVA or in foveal thickness were observed between the first intravitreal injection and the re-injection. There was no increase in IOP after re-injection of 16 mg TA,.if the patient did not have an elevated IOP after the initial intravitreal injection of 4/8 mg TA. Conclusion: A low dosage of TA (4 mg) administered via intravitreal injection might be useful as an initial treatment for macular edema secondary to CRVO..A higher dosage of TA (16mg) can be used if there is no IOP elevation with the initial TA injection.

Retinal Functional Changes Measured by Microperimetry after Intravitreal Ranibizumab Injection and Sulfotanshinone Sodium Injection for Macular Edema Secondary to Retinal Vein Occlusion

Objectives: To study the visual field changes after intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) injection and sulfotanshinone sodium (SS) injection for macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and discuss the value of microperimetry as a routine diagnostic test in the follow-up of RVO patients. Methods: This was a retrospective, interventional, case-series study. Twelve eyes of 12 RVO patients, including 6 eyes with central RVO (CRVO) and 6 eyes with branch RVO (BRVO) were included. The eyes were treated with IVR (0.5 mg) injections and SS injections (20 mg per day, one week consecutively in one month). The outcomes measured included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), mean defect (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD), macular light sensitivity of the central 16 points in CRVO group and the central 8 points in BRVO group before and after the treatment. Statistical analyses were then performed on the main outcome measures. Results: An improvement of BCVA was found in all patients after treatment with significant difference (t = 7.74, p p p p > 0.05). All RVO patients had their macular light sensitivity of the involved part improved significantly (t = 5.03, p p p < 0.01). The Pearson’s correlation was calculated among BCVA, MD, macular light sensitivity and CRT. No obvious significance was found between CRT and BCVA outcomes, whereas MD and mean macular light sensitivity outcomes were closely related to BCVA results in the BRVO group and the latter showed a more intimate correlation. No similar correlation was found in RVO and CRVO group. Conclusion: IVR injection and SS injection together could effectively improve the therapeutic effect in RVO patients with ME. Microperimetry could be used as a routine diagnostic test and a possible valuable tool in the follow-up of patients with RVO, especially in BRVO.

Dexamethasone intravitreal implant for diabetic macular edema in a pregnant patient

Dear Editor,We present a case of dexamethasone（DEX）intravitreal implantation（Ozurdex~;Allergan,Irvine,CA,USA）to treat diabetic macular edema（DME）during pregnancy.According to Pescosolido et al,pregnancy may promote the onset of diabetic retinopathy in about 10%of cases and may contribute to its worsening when already present,causing macular edema.Although one report has indicated that DME during pregnancy spontaneously regresses after delivery,others have reported that DME can persist and be associated with severe and persistent visual dysfunction.

Efficacy of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in the treatment of macular edema secondary to non-ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion

Objective: To observe the efficacy of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in the treatment of macular edema(ME) secondary to non-ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Methods: The clinical data of 27 patients (27 eyes) with macular edema secondary to non-ischemic BRVO were diagnosed by ophthalmology in Chongqing University Center Hospital from May 2018 to April 2019, selected as the experimental group, and 20 cases (20 eyes) of normal people as the control group. For the experimental group, before and after treatment, 1wk, 1mo, 2mo, 3mo and 6mo were used to observe the uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA),best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), central retinal thickness (CRT) macular center volume (MCV) and EN FACE images. Subjects in the normal control group were examined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) for CRT and CMV at 1wk, 1mo, 2mo, 3mo and 6mo on the day of and after enrollment. Results: The mean age of patients in the experimental group was (67.37±8.63) years old and the times of Intravitreal injection was (3.26 ±0.59) times. The successful rate of treatment was 85.19%. There was no significant difference in IOP between pre-treatment and 1wk, 1mo, 2mo, 3mo and 6mo (P > 0.05). 1wk, 1mo, 2mo, 3mo and 6mo BCVA were significantly higher than those before treatment (P < 0.0001). The levels of CRT and CMV at 1wk, 1mo, 2mo, 3mo and 6mo after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P <0.01). Compared with the normal control group, the CRT and CMV of the experimental group before and after treatment showed statistically significant differences in 1wk, 1mo, 2mo and 3mo (P <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in 6mo CRT and CMV after treatment (P>0.05). EN FACE showed that 1wk, 1mo, 2mo, 3mo and 6mo macular thickness decreased gradually, retinal edema subsided, cystoid changes disappeared, and the interlamellar structure of the ellipsoid zone gradually recovered after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in the treatment of non-ischemic BRVO secondary ME has significant efficacy, EN FACE is an effective means to assess the severity, treatment and prognosis of patients.

AB031.Switching to aflibercept in diabetic macular edema not responding to bevacizumab in a Canadian real-life setting

Background:Diabetic macular edema(DME)is a leading cause of severe visual impairments in older and the working-age population.An important target of current therapy is vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),which plays a role in the pathogenesis of DME by inducing angiogenesis and increasing vascular permeability.Currently available anti-VEGF agents include off-label use of Bevacizumab,which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of DME.However,many patients with DME do not respond or demonstrate only a partial response to this agent.As of November 2016,the Canadian Health authorities approved Aflibercept as an anti-VEGF agent for treatment of DME,and the patients who are non-responders to Bevacizumab are switched to this non-off label medication.We aimed to investigate the anatomical and functional visual changes associated with response to Aflibercept in a real-life Canadian population of Bevacizumab non-responders.Methods:A retrospective review of chronic DME patients refractory to bevacizumab treatment who were switched to Aflibercept was done.Best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),Intraocular pressure(IOP),central subfield thickness(CST),average macular thickness,and total macular volume were extracted at the visit prior to switching to Aflibercept(baseline)as well as the first,second and third follow-up visits after switching.Anatomical and functional visual changes were compared using Generalized Estimating Equations and the association between variables was tested using Pearson correlation test with significance set at P<0.05.Results:Twenty-six eyes with mean age of 63 were included.Average CST at baseline was 421.5±116.1μm and the number of Bevacizumab injections received prior to switching was 15.3±8.0.No significant changes were observed in terms of BCVA and IOP,from baseline to any of the follow-ups.Switching to Aflibercept significantly improved CST,average macular thickness,and total macular volume.From baseline to the first follow-up visit,CST decreased from 421.5±116.1 to 333.0±91.2μm(P=0.001)and average macular thickness reduced from 344.6±74.9 to 322.2±60.5μm(P=0.008).Similarly,total macular volume decreased from 12.4±2.7 to 11.6±2.2μm3,measured at baseline and the first follow-up(P=0.007).No further improvements were observed from the first follow-up to the subsequent ones.The median CST value at baseline(378μm)was used to classify the patients into low and high CST groups.We observed that those with higher CST at baseline(>378μm)showed a trend for improvements in visual acuity(P=0.058).Pearson correlation test confirmed the association between higher CST at baseline and better visual outcomes in response to switching to Aflibercept(P=0.018).Conclusions:Our data evidenced significant anatomical improvements in macula,which did not translate to immediate functional vision improvements.Bevacizumab non-responders with higher CST might also gain visual acuity and benefit functionally from switching to Aflibercept.