A 5-Year Follow-Up Study of the Treatment of Macular Edema Due to Retinal Vein Occlusion Using Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implants.

Abstract

To evaluate the long-term effects of intravitreal dexamethasone implants (IDIs) in eyes with macular edema (ME) due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). We reviewed the records of 10 patients followed for 5 years after they received their first IDI. The main outcome measures included changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and central macular volume (CMV), and the incidence of side effects. Ten patients were included in the study with a mean follow-up of 65.51 months. Forty IDI injections were performed. An improvement in BCVA was observed after 92.5% of the IDI injections (P < 0.05), while the CMT and the CMV decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after 97.5% of the injections. After 27.5% of the injections, the intraocular pressure rose more than 10 mmHg and 3 of the 7 phakic patients required phacoemulsification surgery. IDI is an effective therapy for the treatment of ME secondary to RVO with a favorable long-term safety profile.