One-Year Outcome of Aflibercept Intravitreal Injection in Vitrectomized Eyes with Diabetic Macular Edema

To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal Aflibercept injection (IAI) for vitrectomized eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) at one year.

This is a prospective, non-comparative, multicenter observational study including diabetic patients whose HbA1c is < 9%, with visual acuity between 20/400 to 20/40 due to DME, who have undergone vitrectomy since at least 3 months before the first aflibercept injection. Treatment protocol included 5 monthly aflibercept injection followed by a ProReNata regimen during the first year. Visual acuity, OCT findings and number of IAI were assessed at 6 months and one year.

Forty-six eyes were included. Indications for vitrectomy were epiretinal membrane (58.7%), intravitreal hemorrhage (26.1%), and vitreomacular traction (8.7%), retinal detachment (4.3%), and other cause (4.3%). Median duration of macular edema was 3 years. Median interval between vitrectomy and first visit was 9 months. Thirty eyes were non-naïve and received previously thermal laser (44.3%), intravitreal injection of triamcinolone (26.7%), of ranibizumab (70%), of dexamethasone implant (36.7%), or bevacizumab (6.7%). Data was available for 35 eyes at 1 year. Visual gain was significant, +6 letters (p <0.001) and central subfield thickness (CST) decreased significantly (-108μm, p < 0.001) at 1 year. Mean number of injections was 9.3 and mean interval injection was 5.8 weeks.

These results suggest that IAI may be beneficial in vitrectomized eyes with refractory DME which require frequent injections to obtain visual and anatomical improvement.

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, registration Number NCT02874859.