Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of 2 dexamethasone intravitreal implants and 1 ranibizumab intravitreal injection after a bilateral postoperative complication of cataract surgery as pseudophakic cystoid macular edema.
Patients and methods: A 70-year-old male patient with systemic hypertension developed a progressive cystoid macular edema (CME) in both eyes starting between 10 and 20 days after cataract surgery. Two intravitreal dexamethasone implants and 1 ranibizumab injection were administered; first in the right eye (RE) and then in the left eye (LE). The patient was checked for 1 whole week and then once a month for 5 months after the injections.
Results: One month after the first dexamethasone implant in his RE, the spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed a progressive reduction of the foveal thickness until a complete resolution of the CME occurred, which was associated with an improvement of visual acuity. After 3 months, the SD-OCT showed a relapse of the CME, which was then treated with 1 injection of ranibizumab. One month after this injection, there was a complete resolution of the CME. A new CME in his RE was diagnosed 2 months after the last ranibizumab injection; it was treated with a new dexamethasone implant. A complete resolution of the CME was obtained; a normal foveal profile was still present 5 months after the last injection, and the best-corrected visual acuity was 20/20. His LE developed a CME 40 days after surgery. One intravitreal injection of ranibizumab was first administered in his LE, with a complete resolution of the CME at SD-OCT 2 weeks later. As observed in his RE, 40 days after the ranibizumab injection, there was a relapse of the CME that was treated with 1 intravitreal injection of dexamethasone implant. Five months later, the patient showed a worsening of the CME, but it was completely resolved with a second dexamethasone injection. After 3 months, the foveal thickness was back to normal with a BCVA of 20/20.
Conclusion: Treatment with dexamethasone implants (Ozurdex(®)) and ranibizumab injections (Lucentis(®)) induced a progressive reduction of our patient's CME after cataract surgery (Irvine-Gass syndrome) until a complete normal foveal thickness was restored and his visual function was improved despite the order of injections.
Keywords: Cataract; Complication; Cystoid macular edema; Dexamethasone; Intravitreal injection; Irvine-Gass syndrome; Ranibizumab; Surgery.