Retinal vein changes after treatment with aflibercept and PRP in high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Hui Zhao; Jundong Wang; Shuting Li; Ying Bao; Xiaoxia Zheng; Yuan Tao; Hong Wang

doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1090964

Retinal vein changes after treatment with aflibercept and PRP in high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy

Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Mar 9:10:1090964. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1090964. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Hui Zhao¹, Jundong Wang², Shuting Li¹, Ying Bao¹, Xiaoxia Zheng^{1

3

4}, Yuan Tao⁵, Hong Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
² Department of Ophthalmology, Fei County People's Hospital of Shandong, Linyi, Shandong, China.
³ Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, China.
⁴ The Teaching Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology, The Second People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of aflibercept and panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 59 patients (59 eyes) with high-risk PDR who were treated with aflibercept and PRP between January 2018 and December 2019. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT), and retinal vein diameter post-treatment were compared to those before the treatment.

Results: The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 6 months (0.49 ± 0.14 logMAR), 12 months (0.54 ± 0.15 logMAR), 18 months (0.48 ± 0.15 logMAR), and 24 months (0.51 ± 0.15 logMAR) post-treatment were superior to the pre-treatment measurement (0.65 ± 0.18 logMAR). The central foveal thickness (CFT) at 6 months (310.67 ± 52.53 μm), 12 months (295.98 ± 45.65 μm), 18 months (282.56 ± 43.57 μm), and 24 months (281.53 ± 51.16 μm) post-treatment were lower than the pre-treatment measurement (456.53 ± 51.49 μm); the retinal vein diameter at 12 months (310.13 ± 24.60 μm), 18 months (309.50 ± 31.58 μm), and 24 months (317.00 ± 27.54 μm) post-treatment were lower than the pre-treatment measurement (361.81 ± 30.26 μm).

Conclusion: Aflibercept intravitreal injection and panretinal photocoagulation may morphologically reverse retinal vein diameter and venous beading in high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Keywords: aflibercept; high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy; panretinal photocoagulation; retinal vein diameter; venous beading.