Choroidal vascularity index after a single dose of intravitreal dexamethasone implant in patients with refractory diabetic macular oedema

Purpose: To evaluate choroidal vascularity index (CVI) after a single dose of intravitreal dexamethasone implant in refractory diabetic macular oedema (DME). Methods: Total choroidal area, luminal area, and CVI were measured at baseline, 1st month, and at 3rd month after dexamethasone implant using binarization of enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) images. Results: A total of 25 eyes of 25 patients (mean age: 61.4 +/- 8.3 years; 12 males, 13 females), were enroled in the study. All eyes had been previously treated with intravitreal aflibercept injections (mean number of injections 4.6 +/- 2.5). Mean CVI was 70.3 +/- 8.1 prior to intravitreal dexamethasone treatment. It was decreased to 66.1 +/- 9.3 at 1 month and 63.5 & PLUSMN; 10.1 at 3 months after treatment. The mean CVI was significantly decreased at 3 months compared with pre-treatment measures (p = 0.033). Conclusion: CVI was found to be decreased in patients who responded to intravitreal dexamethasone implant.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) in patients with refractory diabetic macular oedema (DME) after a single dose of intravitreal dexamethasone implant. The results showed a significant decrease in CVI after treatment, indicating potential benefits of this treatment for improving macular oedema in patients.