Retinal thickness fluctuations in patients receiving fluocinolone acetonide implant for diabetic macular edema

• Published in: Current medical research and opinion 2020-06, Vol.36 (6), p.959-965
• Main Authors: Holden, Sarah E., Habib, Maged, Currie, Craig J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cohort Studies; diabetic macular edema; Diabetic Retinopathy - drug therapy; Diabetic Retinopathy - pathology; Drug Implants - therapeutic use; Female; Fluocinolone acetonide; Fluocinolone Acetonide - administration & dosage; Humans; ICE-UK; Intravitreal Injections; Macular Edema - drug therapy; Macular Edema - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Retina - pathology; retinal thickness fluctuations; Visual Acuity
• ISSN: 0300-7995; 1473-4877
• DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2020.1754183

To evaluate central foveal thickness (CFT) variability and accompanying changes in visual acuity (VA) 12 months before and after treatment with the 190 mcg fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) intravitreal implant for diabetic macular edema (DME). The Iluvien Clinical Evidence cohort study in the United Kingdom (ICE-UK) investigated the effectiveness of the FAc implant in people treated at 13 hospitals from April 2013 to April 2015. The following parameters were calculated for CFT for each patient: mean, standard deviation (SD), retinal thickness amplitude (RTA, the difference between maximum and minimum values), and coefficient of variation (CV). In 149 eyes with ≥2 CFT observations both before and after FAc implantation, the median VA was 50 ETDRS letters at implantation. Mean CFT was 487 µm at implantation and 135 µm at 12 months post-implant. Before implantation, the mean CV and mean SD for CFT were 24.6% and 112 µm, respectively; the mean RTA was 254 µm. A statistically significant (p