Purpose: To evaluate visual acuity and anatomic response of the macula following intravitreal bevacizumab injections in diabetic macular oedema.
Material and methods: In the retrospective, non-randomised study 35 eyes of 28 subjects (whose mean age was 59.6 years) with focal or diffuse diabetic macular oedema were included. Patients underwent best corrected visual acuity testing with Snellen charts converted to a number of letters, intraocular pressure measurement, slit lamp examination, macular biomicroscopy, central macular thickness measurement by optical coherence tomography as well as fluorescein angiography at baseline and all follow-up visits. Patients were treated with one or two intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg of bevacizumab.
Results: A total of 49 intravitreal injections were performed. All patients had a 6-12-month follow-up after the first injection. The mean baseline best-corrected visual acuity was 5.0 ± 4.3 letters and the mean central macular thickness in the baseline optical coherence tomography was 482.0 ± 109.7 μm. An improvement in the mean best-corrected visual acuity (6.2 ± 6.3, p = 0.020) and central macular thickness (426.8 ± 131.7 μm, p = 0.010) was statistically significant during the follow-up after first injection. There was no statistically significant difference in the best-corrected visual acuity (6.2 ± 6.5, p = 0.055) and central macular thickness (461.2 ± 148.3 μm, p 0.200) after the second injection. There was no correlation between the best corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness. No serious adverse events were observed.
Conclusions: Intravitreal bevacizumab injections significantly improve visual acuity and decrease central macular thickness in patients with diabetic macular edema. This treatment is safe for patients but the therapeutic effect is temporary.