Acta clinica Croatica, Vol. 60. No. 4., 2021.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2021.60.04.06
Visual Outcomes in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Dexamethasone Implant in Routine Clinical Practice
Mojca Urbančič
orcid.org/0000-0001-8007-834X
; Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ivana Gardašević Topčić
; Department of Ophthalmology, Novo mesto General Hospital, Novo mesto, Slovenia
Katja Matović
orcid.org/0000-0002-0611-643X
; Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
The aim was to evaluate visual outcomes of the real-life usage of dexamethasone
(DEX) implants in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients and evaluate the possible additional visual
acuity (VA) gain with combined treatment. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of DME
patients treated with DEX implants. The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and mean central
retinal thickness (CRT) at baseline and one year were compared. BCVA improved from 58.4±14.9
letters at baseline to 62.4±14.5 letters at one-year evaluation (p=0.002). The mean change in BCVA
was 5.2±11.1 letters. CRT decreased from 485.7±146.3 μm at baseline to 391.5±129.0 μm at one year
(p<0.001). The mean change in CRT was -89.6±143.3 μm. Patients received a mean of 2.0±0.7 DEX
implants. Study eyes were also divided into a group receiving DEX implant monotherapy and a group
receiving DEX implant and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor (anti-VEGF) therapy.
Changes in BCVA and CRT and the number of DEX implant injections were compared between the
two groups. No difference in VA gain was found between the eyes receiving monotherapy and the eyes
receiving combined treatment. In conclusion, DEX implant therapy was effective in gaining vision in
DME patients. No additional VA gain was achieved with combined treatment.
Keywords
Diabetic macular edema; Dexamethasone implant; Routine clinical practice
Hrčak ID:
275441
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2021.
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