Objective To observe the visual acuity change in patients with different patterns of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal ranibizumab injection and/or laser photocoagulation. Methods A retrospective observational case series. Seventy patients (99 eyes) with DME were enrolled. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was evaluated using the international vision test chart, and then convert the result to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). According to the morphological characteristics of OCT, the DME was divided into 3 patterns, including diffuse macular edema (DRT), cystoid macular edema (CME) and serous neuroepithelial layer detachment. The average follow-up was (80.43±74.89) days. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the different treatments, including intravitreal ranibizumab injection group (group A, 21 patients, 25 eyes), intravitreal ranibizumab injection and laser photocoagulation group (group B, 23 patients, 26 eyes), laser photocoagulation group (group C, 26 patients, 48 eyes). The changes of absolute BCVA (ABCVA) and improved visual acuity were compared between different treatment groups and different OCT patterns. ABCVA = logMAR BCVA before treatment－logMAR BCVA after treatment. Improvement more than 0.3 of logMAR value was considered as improved visual acuity. Results There was no significant difference in ABCVA between different treatment groups (F=0.050,P＞0.05). The improved visual acuity in group A and B were great than group C (χ2=5.645, 6.301;P＜0.05). In group A, B and C, there was no significant difference in ABCVA and improved visual acuity between different OCT patterns (P＞0.05). Improved visual acuity of DRT and CME eyes were higher in group A&B (70.59% and 50.00%) than in group C (26.47% and 14.29%), the difference was statistically significant (χ2=5.075, 4.453;P＜0.05). Conclusions There is no obvious change of visual acuity in patients with different OCT patterns of DME after the same treatment by intravitreal ranibizumab injection and/or laser photocoagulation. The improved visual acuity is not consistent in same OCT patterns after different treatment.
Objective To observe the efficacy of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVR) for different patterns of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of diabetic macular edema and the relationship between integrity of ellipsoidal zone and visual acuity outcomes. Methods Eighty-five IVR treated eyes were enrolled. The examination of BCVA was according to Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study, and the results were recorded as logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). Frequency-domain OCT was used to measure the central foveal thickness (CFT) and the integrity of ellipsoidal zone. All eyes were classified as diffuse macular edema (DRT group, 31 eyes), cystoid macular edema (CME group, 29 eyes), and serous retinal detachment (SRD group, 25 eyes). All the patients were treated with intravitreal injection of 0.05 ml (0.5 mg) ranibizumab. The mean follow-up time was (9.21+3.56) months after IVR treatment. The changes of BCVA and CFT in 3 groups were compared and analyzed after 3, 6 and 12 months. According to visual acuity at different ranges, the relationship between integrity of ellipsoidal zone and BCVA was analyzed. Results Compared with the average logMAR BCVA before treatment, except for 12 months after treatment in group SRD (t=2.104,P=0.053), the average logMAR BCVA after IVR at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months improved in DRT group (t=7.847, 6.771, 6.426;P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000), CME group (t=8.560, 6.680, 5.082;P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000) and SRD group (t=5.161, 3.968, 2.104;P=0.000, 0.001, 0.053). The average logMAR BCVA of the DRT group was lesser than that in CME and SRD group after 12 months treatment (t=–2.043, –3.434;P=0.030, 0.001). The average CFT after IVR at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months reduced significantly in DRT group (t=12.746, 10.687, 9.425;P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000), CME group (t=13.400, 11.460, 10.169;P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000), and SRD group (t=11.755, 10.100, 9.173;P=0.000, 0.000, 0.000). After 12 months of treatment, the average CFT of the SRD group was thicker than that in DRT group and CME group (t=–3.251, –1.227;P=0.003, 0.025); there was significant difference in the integrity of ellipsoidal zone among 3 groups (χ2=1.267,P=0.531). The results showed that there were significant differences in the integrity of ellipsoidal zone with different ranges of BCVA before and after 12 months treatment (χ2=20.145, 41.035;P=0.000, 0.000). Conclusions IVR could significantly improve the visual acuity of different patterns of DME, reduced the CFT, and had the best efficacy in the DRT group. There was relationship between the integrity of ellipsoidal zone and the visual acuity outcomes.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major and irreversible blinding eye disease in working aged adults. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a complication of the further development of DR, and it is one of the main causes of vision loss in DR patients. The emergence of anti-VEGF drugs has changed the treatment model of DR and DME. Firstly, for the treatment of DME, the previous focal/grid-like laser photocoagulation is converted to anti-VEGF drugs as the first-line treatment. Secondly, for the treatment of proliferative DR (PDR), panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) was the gold standard in the past, and now anti-VEGF drugs have become an alternative treatment for some PDR patients. In varying degrees of DR and DME, the option of treatment, anti-VEGF drug therapy replacing PRP, and the era of anti-VEGF drug therapy on DR treatment modes are worthy questions for consideration by clinicians. In-depth study of the clinical study of PRP and anti-VEGF drugs in the treatment of DR, the changes attention in clinical guidelines and expert consensus, the gradual establishment of treatment of DR and DME suitable, and the personalized treatment of DR patients may help improve the level of DR treatment in China.