[Ozurdex in the treatment of diabetic macular edema. When to prescribe?]

Retinal damage in diabetes is known to manifest in two main ways: diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. The most effective anti-inflammatory drugs today are glucocorticoids, a classic representative of which is dexamethasone. Two things that should be considered by ophthalmologists in the therapy of macular edema are the switching point to dexamethasone implant when the effectiveness of anti-vasoproliferative drugs is unsatisfactory, and the identification of the main predictors of diabetic macular edema that make glucocorticoids the drugs of first choice. The data from real clinical practice was used to develop the indications for intravitreal administration of a glucocorticoid as the therapy of first choice for diabetic macular edema. Glucocorticoids are prescribed to patients diagnosed with diabetic macular edema who has a history of acute cerebrovascular events, myocardial infarction or other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as patients with a very high risk of a vascular catastrophe. Intravitreal glucocorticoids can be prescribed to patients who cannot follow the schedule of frequent visits and/or are not able to visit the hospital during the first 6 months after the administration of the drug. Considering the local character of its ophthalmic action, the method can be recommended for treating patients with pseudophakic eyes, persistent diabetic macular edema, or patients who underwent vitrectomy.