Efficacy of Ozurdex implant in recalcitrant diabetic macular edema-a single-center experience

The purpose of this study is to report the efficacy of intravitreal Ozurdex implant in managing recalcitrant diabetic macular edema. Retrospective interventional non-randomized study of patients with recalcitrant diabetic macular edema who received intravitreal Ozurdex implant. Main outcome measures were change in the central macular thickness, visual acuity, and intraocular pressure. Sixty-seven eyes of 52 patients with recalcitrant diabetic macular edema with a mean duration of 45.4 +/- A 22.5 months (range 6-96 months) were studied. Mean central macular thickness decreased from 514.2 +/- A 177.8 A mu m at baseline to 394.3 +/- A 152.2 A mu m (p = 0.007), 301.8 +/- A 93.0 A mu m (p < 0.000), 316.4 +/- A 115.6 A mu m (p < 0.000), and 419.9 +/- A 186.3 A mu (p = 0.03) at 1, 6, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively. Mean best corrected visual acuity changed from 0.82 +/- A 0.46 log MAR to 0. 69 +/- A 0.44 log MAR (p = 0.122), 0.61 +/- A 0.40 log MAR (p = 0.007), 0.65 +/- A 0.37 log MAR (p = 0.024), and 0.68 +/- A 0.49 log MAR (p = 0.091) at 1, 6, 12, and 24 weeks, respectively. Single injection of intravitreal Ozurdex implant led to progressive decrease in central macular thickness with maximum percentage decrease at 6 weeks (41.2 %) from the baseline which was maintained up to 12 weeks. Eight eyes showed transient rise in intraocular pressure at 2 months which was controlled by antiglaucoma medications.