The impact of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®) on retrobulbar hemodynamics in patients with diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusions

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of single intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex^®) on ocular blood flow velocities in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DME) and retinal vein occlusions (RVO).

Methods: This prospective non-randomized interventional study included injected and fellow eyes of 12 patients with DME and of 16 patients with RVO treated with intravitreal Ozurdex^®. Colour Doppler Ultrasonography (CDU) measures of the central retinal artery (CRA), posterior ciliary artery (PCA), ophthalmic artery (OA) those are peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) were performed in both injected and uninjected eyes before injection, at one week, one month after injection, and prior to re-injection.

Results: Inter-eye comparison of all the measured CDU data (baseline, first week, first month, reinjection) showed no statistically significant difference in both DME and RVO group. PSV and EDV values of the CRA, OA, and PCA showed a decreasing trend in the first week and first-month visits and then increased at reinjection time. RI and PI measures of the CRA, OA, and PCA measures showed minimal alterations in the follow-up. But all these differences were not statistically significant. Significant visual gain and anatomic recovery were obtained by the intravitreal dex-implant both in the DME and RVO group.

Conclusions: Single intravitreal dex-implant did not alter ocular blood flow in the treatment of macular oedema due to RVO and diabetes.

Keywords:

• Dexamethasone
• macular oedema
• diabetic retinopathy
• retinal vein occlusion
• ultrasonography

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.