[Anti-angiogenesis therapy of diabetic macular edema in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma]

Despite the high clinical effectiveness and widespread introduction of anti-angiogenesis (anti-VEGF) therapy into practice, its long-term effect on the development of structural changes in the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) hasn't been studied sufficiently and so presents certain interest.

To study the effect of anti-VEGF therapy on the structural and functional state of the retina and optic nerve in patients with DME and POAG.

The study included 72 patients (132 eyes): the 1^st group - 22 patients (40 eyes) with stage I POAG and DME, the 2^nd group - 25 patients (46 eyes) with DME receiving anti-VEGF therapy. The 3^rd group (control) consisted of 25 patients (46 eyes) with stage I POAG. The observation period lasted 24 months. The average number of injections was 8.48±3.65. The indicators for evaluation were: visual acuity, tonometry, perimetry, optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the optic nerve and macular region.

By the end of the observation period, the increase in IOP in the groups was +0.82 (4.4%), 0.41 (2.4%), 0.65 (3.6%) mm Hg. In the group of comorbid patients, a small-scale increase trend of BCVA was noted: +0.05 (6.6%), a decrease in MD by -2.48 Db (92.1%), an increase in excavation volume by 0.16 (43.2%) mm³, decrease in the area of RA by 0.3 mm² (12.7%). A decrease in retinal nerve fibers layer (RNFL) thickness of 6.55 μm (7.8%), mainly the superior (9.2%), inferior (7.3%) and nasal sectors (7.9%). Loss of GCL+IPL 8.68 μm (12.7%) in the superior (19%), superonasal (20.2%) and inferonasal (20.7%) sectors.

The combined course of POAG and DME is accompanied by a decrease in the functional and structural parameters of the retina and optic nerve, and a higher rate of progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Long-term results did not reveal a significant deterioration in the structural parameters of the optic disc and retina against the background of anti-VEGF therapy when comparing the study groups.