Intravitreal dexamethasone implant for noninfectious uveitis in Chinese patients.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DEX-I) in Non-Infectious Uveitis (NIU) in Chinese patients.

METHODS:

Ninety-one eyes of 77 patients (56 men, 21 women) receiving 130 implant injections for NIU were included. Treatment indication, uveitis diagnosis, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), vitreous haze score, intraocular pressure, phakic status, number of injections, time to reinjection, and systemic treatments were collected at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, 3 and 6 months after treatment.

RESULTS:

All patients were followed for at least 12 weeks and had a mean follow-up period of 5.1 months (range, 3-14 months) after the first implant. The main treatment indications were macular edema (ME), retinal vasculitis, retinal vasculitis with ME. Sixty-one eyes (67.03%) received only one injection, while 31 eyes (32.97%) received two or more. In eyes that received 2 injections, the mean time to the second injection was 3.83 months and in those that received 3 injections, the mean time to the third injection was 7.5 months. BCVA and CRT significantly improved at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after treatment. When compared to baseline, the mean prednisone (or equivalent) dosage significantly decreased at 3- and 6-month follow-up evaluations after DEX implantation.14.29% of eyes developed a transient increase in intraocular pressure, and a cataract was removed from 1 phakic eye.

CONCLUSIONS:

DEX implants, either alone or in combination with common adjunctive NIU treatments, is safe and effective in the treatment of NIU in Chinese patients.

• Authors: Shun Zeng, Li Yang, Feng Bai, Tao Liu, Xiaoli Liu
• Journal: International ophthalmology (Int Ophthalmol) Vol. 42 Issue 7 Pg. 2063-2069 (Jul 2022) ISSN: 1573-2630 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 34984627 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Chemical References

• Drug Implants
• Glucocorticoids
• Dexamethasone

Topics

• China (epidemiology)
• Dexamethasone
• Drug Implants
• Female
• Glucocorticoids
• Humans
• Intravitreal Injections
• Macular Edema (drug therapy)
• Male
• Retrospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome
• Uveitis (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Visual Acuity