ASSESSMENT OF VITREORETINAL INTERFACE ALTERATIONS IN DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA TREATED WITH INTRAVITREALANTIVEGF INJECTIONS

Abstract

Background : The introduction of anti-VEGF therapy has had a greater effect on the world of retina than any other advance in the past few decades. This study was conducted to see whether anti-VEGF agents have any kind of brotic effect for the development of vitreomacular interface abnormalities, in diabetic eyes without pre-existing brotic membranes. Materials and Methods: This study was a Hospital based retrospective observational study, conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology, SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Srinagar.100 eyes were included in the study. Patients with DME followed at least 9 months were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: 50 eyes in anti-VEGF group that had DME and received intravitreal injections and 50 eyes in control group without signicant central DME. The groups were comparable in terms of diabetes duration and HbA1c. Results: Atotal of 100 eyes were taken in the study that met the inclusion criteria. Vitreomacular interface abnormalities (VMIA) (ERM, VMT and Macular hole) developed in 11 (22%) of the eyes during a follow up period of 36 weeks as compared to 2 eyes (4%) of the control group. This difference is statistically signicant (p = 0.015). Poor baseline vision was found to be a risk factor for VMIAdevelopment. Conclusion: Our study revealed that patients with clinically signicant DME who underwent intravitreal injections had a rate of vitro macular interface abnormalities formation in 22% of eyes during a follow up period of 9 months as compared to 4% eyes of the control group. This difference was statistically signicant. VMIA changes in the eyes was associated with initial poor vision. Improvement of BCVA and Central Macular Thickness at the nal visit compared with baseline in eyes treated with intravitreal anti-VEGFs was statistically signicant.