Efficacy of dexamethasone implants in uveitic macular edema in cases with behcet disease

Abstract

Purpose: Investigation of the efficacy of intravitreal dexamethasone implants (0.7 mg) in patients with Behcet disease (BD) who had cystoid macular edema (CME) despite immunomodulatory treatment. Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven eyes of 20 patients who had intravitreal dexamethasone implant injections and follow-up for more than 6 months were included in this study. Best corrected visual acuities (BCVA), intraocular pressures (IOP), and central macular thicknesses (CMT) were recorded. Systemic immunomodulatory treatment was noted. Injection-related complications and the need for recurrent injections were recorded. Results: Statistically significant anatomical and functional success was achieved with a single injection. BCVA increased from 0.85 +/- 0.72 to 0.45 +/- 0.52 logMAR, while the mean CMT decreased from 406 +/- 190 to 243 +/- 101 mu m at the sixth month. The peak of visual acuity gain was reached within the first 2 months and a substantial proportion of the patients gained 3 or more lines. There was no complication other than transient IOP elevation in 4 eyes and cataract surgery in 2 eyes. Conclusion: Adjuvant intravitreal dexamethasone implant injections offer promising results in cases of BD with CME. It is effective in preserving the macular anatomy and vision particularly in transition to biological agents.