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Anti-VEGF treatment improves macular sensitivity in diffuse DME
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Anti-VEGF treatment improved macular sensitivity in patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema but not in patients with focal diabetic macular edema, according to a poster presentation here.
The study included 59 eyes of 45 patients with center-involving DME that were randomized into two groups: 33 eyes received 1.5 mg/0.06 mL intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) and 26 eyes received 0.5 mg/0.05 mL intravitreal Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech).
Injections were performed at baseline and given monthly if the central subfield thickness measured by optical coherence tomography was 275 µm or higher.
At months 3, 6, 9 and 12, microperimetry was performed before injections to determine fixation stability.
“The study found no correlation of macular thickness, and fixation stability did not improve,” co-author Monique Sousa, MD, said at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
Improvement in sensitivity threshold in the bevacizumab and ranibizumab groups was 3 dB and 2.7 dB, respectively.
Eighteen eyes were determined to have focal DME. Mean change in sensitivity threshold in eyes with focal DME was 1.4 dB, which was not statistically significant; mean change in eyes with diffuse DME was 3.4 dB (P < .0001).
“The presence of inner nuclear layer, outer nuclear layer, serous retinal detachment and hard exudates were not associated with [sensitivity threshold],” Sousa and colleagues said in the poster.
Disclosure: Sousa has no relevant financial disclosures.