Topical NSAID reduces foveal thickness in study of DME patients

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Treating clinically significant diabetic macular edema with topical nepafenac is effective in reducing foveal thickness and may also improve vision, according to a poster study presented here at the American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting.

"Two patients had an anatomic improvement without a functional improvement in vision; this may have been due to retinal ischemia causing cellular damage unresponsive to resolution of edema," the study authors said.

Patrick Williams, MD, and David Callanan, MD, retrospectively reviewed outcomes for seven eyes of six patients with clinically significant diabetic macular edema (DME) involving the fovea who were treated with topical Nevanac (nepafenac ophthalmic suspension 0.1%, Alcon) twice daily.

All patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus for at least 10 years, and all were followed for at least 6 months.

"One eye was excluded from analysis due to corneal transplantation for unrelated Fuch's dystrophy during the study period," the authors noted.

The remaining six eyes showed an average decrease in retinal edema of 151 µm after an average treatment duration of 29.8 weeks.

Additionally, four eyes showed an improvement in vision, with a mean visual acuity improvement of 0.17 logMAR. The other two eyes maintained visual acuity.

The researchers observed no adverse events related to nepafenac use.

"This small retrospective study provides evidence supporting the efficacy of topical nepafenac 0.1% in the treatment of clinically significant DME and warrants investigation in a randomized, controlled setting," the authors said.