OCULAR HYPERTENSION AFTER INTRAVITREAL DEXAMETHASONE (OZURDEX) SUSTAINED-RELEASE IMPLANT

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant) is used for various retinal conditions.
• Intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation is a known side effect of corticosteroid therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of ocular hypertension (OHT) following Ozurdex injection.
• To identify factors associated with OHT, including underlying glaucoma and treatment history.
• To assess the need for glaucoma therapy after Ozurdex administration.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series of patients receiving intravitreal Ozurdex.
• Ocular hypertension defined as IOP ≥30 mmHg or an increase of ≥10 mmHg from baseline.
• Analysis of patient diagnosis, glaucoma status, and treatment interventions.

Main Results:

• Ocular hypertension developed in 26.9% of patients (14 out of 52).
• 13.8% of injections led to initiation of glaucoma eye drops.
• 3.2% of patients required invasive glaucoma surgery, all with pre-existing glaucoma or suspicion.
• No significant difference in relative IOP increase between single and multiple Ozurdex injections.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of patients develop OHT after Ozurdex.
• Pre-existing glaucoma or suspicion is a key factor for those requiring invasive surgery.
• While multiple injections may lead to IOP elevation, the relative increase is not statistically significant.