Abstract
Patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) are inherently interested in achieving normal or near-normal visual acuity. The study aimed to investigate factors influencing the visual acuity achieved by DME patients after bevacizumab (IVB) treatment. 98 patients (98 eyes) diagnosed with DR and DME underwent IVB treatment (9 injections/12 months). Patients were diagnosed and monitored using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), ultra-wide-field fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart testing. We assessed macular central subfield thickness (CST), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) indicators and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). After the treatment, patients were divided into BCVA≤75 and BCVA>75 groups. The IVB therapy increased the number of ETDRS letters read by about 9 and 8 in the BCVA≤75 and the BCVA>75 group, respectively. Before and after treatment, the BCVA>75 group had lower CST than the BCVA≤75 group. The treatment reduced macular CST by 177 μm in the BCVA≤75 group and only by 93 μm in the BCVA>75 group. Total non-perfusion area (NPA) decreased in both BCVA score groups after IVB therapy. Normal or near-normal vision can be achieved with IVB treatment, provided it starts when visual acuity is not significantly reduced yet. The ophthalmic screening of DR patients should also target those with relatively high visual acuity.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilUnmet patients’ expectations are a common cause of non-adherence and nonpersistence in anti-VEGF therapy
The analysis of the variables measured for patients enrolled for this study showed that the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) negatively correlated with macular central subfield thickness (CST) (Table 3)
We investigated the effects of bevacizumab treatment (9 injections over 12 months) in patients with diabetic macular edema who were classified as unsatisfactory
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilUnmet patients’ expectations are a common cause of non-adherence and nonpersistence in anti-VEGF therapy. Non-persistence is more often observed in patients suffering from diabetic macular edema (DME) than in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). For this reason, achieving a treatment outcome that satisfies the patient is even more valuable as it may increase the chances of the patient’s future compliance. Explaining and identifying the factors contributing to such an outcome should be a part of the pre-treatment evaluation [1]. Fluorescein angiography is an integral part of diabetic retinopathy (DR) diagnostics. It helps to identify microaneurysms (MA), non-perfusion areas (NPA), diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascularization.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
