Outcomes of using intravitreal ranibizumab to treat patients with ischaemic diabetic maculopathy

Abstract

PurposeTo report the functional and anatomical outcomes of using intravitreal ranibizumab (IR) for patients with ischaemic diabetic maculopathy (IDM).MethodsRetrospective analysis of 11 consecutive patients treated with IR for IDM from Nov 2008 to May 2015. The number of injections, fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) results, visual acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) prior to commencing IR were recorded. VA was assessed with logMAR.ResultsThree eyes were excluded as one had a history of vein occlusion, one was amblyopic and the other patient had multiple vitreous haemorrhages and vitrectomy.There were equal numbers of females and males, the average age was 67 (34–82 years) and patients had on average 5 (range 3–11) injections of IR. Average length of follow up was 13 months (5–18 months). On FFA 4 patients had enlargement of foveal avascular zone (FAZ), 1 patient had fragmentation of FAZ, 1 patient had deregulation of FAZ and 1 patient had an increase in FAZ. The average initial VA was +0.9 (+0.3 to +1.78) and the average final VA was +1.05 (+0.6 to +1.78). The average change between initial and final VA was +0.15. Initial average CRT was 558 (306–785) reducing to an average of 447 (197–892) at the final follow up. The average CRT reduction was 111 between initial and final CRT.ConclusionsAnatomical thickness appears to be reduced with IR injections, but without improvement in visual acuity. No adverse complications were noted with this regimen.