Macular edema resolution assessment with implantable dexamethasone in diabetic retinopathy (MERIT): a pilot study

Figures & data

Figure 1 Representative case of phakic eye.

Notes: (A) A 56-year-old male presented with moderate NPDR and center-involving macular edema with plenty of HEX. He underwent 2 intravitreal dexamethasone implantations at baseline and at Month 4. (B) His visual acuity improved from 20/200 to 20/100 at Month 8, with reduction in HEX. Quantitative analysis of HEX showed a reduction from (C) 1.9 mm² to (D) 1.75 mm². Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed a reduction in subfoveal HEX (arrow) and reduction in central macular thickness as can be seen at (E) baseline and (F) Month 8. Retinal sensitivity map shows improvement from (G) baseline to (H) Month 8.
Abbreviations: HEX, hard exudates; NPDR, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Table 1 Observations of the MERIT study at baseline and final follow-up

Characteristics	At baseline – mean (±SD)	At 8 months – mean (±SD)	p-value
BCVA in ETDRS letters	50.93 (±16.654)	50.6 (±18.95)	0.959
Contrast sensitivity (logMAR)	1.15 (±0.39)	0.97 (±0.43)	0.31
Central macular thickness (μm)	488.67 (±240.66)	326.93 (±135.84)	0.03
Hard exudates area (mm^2)	1.525 (±1.46)	0.89 (±1.06)	0.19
Average threshold retinal sensitivity (dB)	6.99 (±8.896)	11.91 (±7.64)	0.29

Abbreviations: BCVA, best-corrected visual acuity; ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study; logMAR, logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution; MERIT, macular edema resolution assessment with implantable dexamethasone in diabetic retinopathy.