Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether targeted retinal photocoagulation (TRP) for nonperfused areas (NPAs) could have a preventive effect on the recurrence of diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB).
Methods: Eyes in the IVB group received 1.25 mg IVB, and eyes in the IVB+TRP group received 1.25 mg IVB combined with TRP of NPAs. Two weeks before IVB administration, grid/focal photocoagulation (PC) had been performed in both groups. After IVB treatment, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT), determined by optical coherence tomography, were measured every month for 6 months.
Results: Fifty-two patients with DME were enrolled and randomized to an IVB group (n = 26) and an IVB+TRP group (n = 26). After IVB, the CRT decreased temporally, and the CRT significantly increased at 2 months and thereafter in the IVB group but did not increase significantly in the IVB+TRP group. Maximum increase in CRT after IVB was significantly correlated with the width of NPAs in the IVB group (P = 0.0368), but not in the IVB+TRP group. Best corrected visual acuity in the IVB+TRP group was significantly better than that in the IVB group 5 and 6 months after treatment (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Targeted retinal photocoagulation for NPAs was effective to maintain the reduced CRT after grid/focal PC and IVB for patients with DME. These results suggest that retinal ischemia is associated with the pathogenesis of recurrence of DME after IVB. ( www.umin.ac.jp/ctr number, UMIN000007566.).
Keywords: bevacizumab; diabetic macula edema; targeted retinal photocoagulation.
Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.