Macular thickness amplitude changes when switching from discontinuous to continuous therapy for diabetic macular oedema

Abstract

Objective To investigate if the mean central retinal thickness (CRT) amplitude, measured between visits, is consistently decreased when switching from discontinuous to continuous therapy for diabetic macular oedema (DME) following fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) administration. Methods and analysis In this retrospective cohort study, all patients with DME treated with FAc at a single centre were included. The primary outcome was CRT amplitude changes measured at each visit prior to and after FAc administration. Secondary outcomes included average number of DME treatments before and after FAc injection, visual acuity and intraocular pressure changes. Results Nineteen eyes were included. The mean (SD) follow-up after FAc was 399 (222) days. The mean (SD) CRT amplitude before FAc was 194.6 (114.90) μm, and following FAc administration, the amplitude decreased to 70.8 (94.23) μm (95% CI -189.5 to -58.1; p≤0.001). After FAc, the number of treatments required per month significantly decreased from an average of 1 treatment every 2.7 months to every 6 months (p=0.009). Conclusion In patients with DME, the CRT amplitude values and number of treatments significantly decrease following FAc administration while maintaining vision. Further studies are needed to evaluate the significance of these interesting findings.