Persistent or Recurrent Diabetic Macular Edema After Fluocinolone Acetonide 0.19 mg Implant: Risk Factors and Management

PURPOSE: To investigate baseline characteristics of patients undergoing additional antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections for residual or recurrent diabetic macular edema (DME) in the first year after 0.19-mg fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implant. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Ninety-four eyes of 66 patients received an FAc implant. Eyes with persistent or recurrent DME were managed with pro re nata anti-VEGF agents. Demographic data and medical history were collected at baseline. Best-corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness were measured every 2 months. The 3 outcomes explored were 1) the risk factors for administration of additional anti-VEGF agents, 2) the interval from FAc to first anti-VEGF injection; and 3) the number of anti-VEGF doses required to maintain regression of DME. RESULTS: Eighteen eyes (19.1%) of 13 patients received 1.3 +/- 0.6 anti-VEGF injections. These eyes had significantly thicker central macular thickness at baseline and over the entire follow-up period (P < .001); best-corrected visual acuity was similar at every time point to eyes that were not receiving extra DME treatments. Eyes without preexistent panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) had a higher risk to undergo supplemental treatments (hazard ratio 1.5 [95% confidence interval 1.1-2.5, P = .03). The interval between FAc implant and the first anti-VEGF had a significant linear positive relationship with the number of dexamethasone implants before FAc implant (P = .002, R-2 = 0.47). No association was found between baseline factors and the number of injections given. CONCLUSION: Anti-VEGF agents are efficient treatment to maintain visual acuity in residual/recurrent DME after FAc. Patients with higher baseline central macular thickness and with no previous central macular thickness are more likely to require additional treatments to control DME. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.