(1) Background: To investigate the correlation between therapeutic outcome and morphologic changes for diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVIR). (2) Methods: This retrospective study included 228 eyes received IVIR for DME. Each participant was traced for two years after the initial IVIR, while the data of ophthalmic examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) image, and systemic diseases were collected. The study population was categorized into different subgroups according to the existence of OCT morphologic change and the initial OCT morphologic pattern, including diffuse retinal thickening (DRT), cystoid macular edema (CME), serous retinal detachment (SRD), and vitreomacular interface abnormalities (VMIAs). The primary outcomes were the baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) during a two-year study period. The distribution of OCT morphologic change and its relation to primary outcome were analyzed. (3) Results: Comparing the 42 eyes (18.4%) with OCT morphological changes to another 186 eyes (81.6%) without such alteration, the former showed a poorer baseline BCVA (0.84 ± 0.39 vs. 0.71 ± 0.36, p = 0.035), worse final BCVA (0.99 ± 0.44 vs. 0.67 ± 0.30, p = 0.001), and thicker final CMT (354.21 ± 89.02 vs. 305.33 ± 83.05, p = 0.001). Moreover, the VMIA developed in 14.9% of all DME patients presenting the most common morphologic change among DRT, CME, and SRD. Besides, the presence of stroke was independently correlated to the morphologic change (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.381, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.112-36.623, p = 0.038). (4) Conclusions: The change of OCT morphology in DME patients receiving IVIR was correlated to worse structural and visual outcome while the formation of VMIA most commonly occurred after initial treatment.
Keywords: antivascular endothelial growth factors; diabetic macular edema; optical coherence tomography; vitreomacular interface abnormality.