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Selective retina therapy shows promise in treating clinically significant DME
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2010; 248(9):1263-1272.
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Most patients with diabetic macular edema showed functional and anatomical improvement or stabilization after selective retina therapy, according to a study.
The prospective, interventional, uncontrolled phase 2 pilot study tested selective retina therapy among 39 eyes of 39 patients with clinically significant diabetic macular edema and found that the treatment appears to be safe. Opto-acoustic measurements accurately detected the individual threshold of retinal pigment epithelium damage in the study.
All patients received focal laser treatment using a Q-switched, frequency-doubled Nd:YLF laser.
Opto-acoustic measurements, fundus fluorescein angiography and funduscopy were used to determine the individual threshold of retinal pigment epithelium damage of each patient. Best corrected visual acuity, fundus fluorescein angiography, fundus photography and retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography were included in follow-up examinations at 3 and 6 months after treatment.
At 6 months, mean BCVA had improved from 43.7 letters to 46.1 letters.
"Overall, retinal thickness, hard exudates and leakage in [fundus fluorescein angiography] did not change significantly ... while improvement of BCVA correlated with a reduction of hard exudates (P = .01) and central retinal thickness (P = .01)," according to the study.
Specificity and sensitivity of detecting the angiographic visible threshold of retinal pigment epithelium damage by opto-acoustic measurements were 86% and 70%, respectively.
A randomized trial is required to further test efficacy and safety of selective retina therapy as a treatment for clinically significant diabetic macular edema, the authors concluded.