[Diabetic cystoid macular edema and vitrectomy. Preliminary results: about 19 cases]

Vitrectomy can be performed to release the anteroposterior and tangential vitreoretinal tractions that sometimes create diabetic macular edema. The present study evaluates the efficacy of this treatment.

We retrospectively studied 19 operated eyes in 15 patients with diabetes over 17 months. The group's mean age was 61.4 years. There were 11 men and 4 women, with 13 cases of noninsulinodependent and two cases of insulinodependent diabetes. A vitrectomy was done by the same surgeon to detach posterior hyaloidal and inner limiting membranes. Two groups were defined and compared, one including patients whose visual acuity had improved and the other, patients with no improvement. We used Student's t test and Leven's test from SPSS.

Improvement in visual acuity was observed in 57.8% of the eyes studied, stabilization was achieved in 26.3%, and regression was noted in 15.7%. Cystoid macular edema resolved in 68.42% of eyes. Furthermore, inner limiting membrane colored by indocyanine green was removed. An angiographic improvement was noted in 68.42% of eyes. There was no significant difference between the two groups allowing a definition of success criteria.

Vitrectomy for diabetic cystoid macular edema is currently under study and seems effective given its encouraging results.