Vitreous and intraretinal macular changes in diabetic macular edema with and without tractional components.

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is still one of the main causes of visual impairment. Repeated intravitreal injections of ranibizumab are considered the gold standard treatment, but the efficacy in patients with prominent cystic characteristics remains uncertain. In diabetic retinas, the identification of both antero-posterior and, particularly, tangential tractions is crucial to prevent misdiagnosis of tractional and refractory DME, and therefore to prevent poor treatment outcomes. The treatment of tractional DME with anti-VEGF injections could be poorly effective due to the influence of a tractional force. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) is a surgical procedure that has been widely used in the treatment of diffuse and refractory DME. Anatomical improvement, although stable and immediate, did not result in visual improvement. PPV with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for the treatment of non-tractional DME in patients with prominent cysts (> 390 µm) causes subfoveal atrophy, defined as "floor effect". Epiretinal tangential forces and intraretinal change evaluation by SD-OCT of non-tractional DME are essential for determining appropriate management.

Deep and superficial OCT angiography changes after macular peeling: idiopathic vs diabetic epiretinal membranes.

BACKGROUND: To assess changes in deep and superficial perifoveal capillary plexus after macular peeling in idiopathic and diabetic epiretinal membrane (iERM and dERM, respectively). METHODS: Cross-sectional comparative study. We included 40 eyes from 40 patients affected by iERM (20 eyes) and dERM (20 eyes), as well as 34 eyes from 17 healthy, age-matched patients. Patients received a complete ophthalmic evaluation including axial and en-face scanning spectral-domain analysis, optical coherence tomography angiography, and microperimetry. Split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography images were obtained to quantify the deep and superficial layers of perifoveal capillary-free zone (CFZ). The main outcome measures were: (i) differences at baseline between deep and superficial CFZ in iERM and dERM vs control, and (ii) changes in deep and superficial CFZ plexus after surgery in iERM vs dERM. RESULTS: The deep CFZ only significantly increased in dERM at the end of the follow-up period (6 months). No statistically significant differences were found between preoperative and postoperative superficial vascular plexus in iERM or dERM. At the end of the follow-up, statistically significant differences between preoperative and postoperative ganglion cell complex (GCC) average were found only in the iERM group. Best-corrected visual acuity significantly improved after surgery both in the iERM (P = 0.0053) and dERM (P < 0.0001) groups. After 6 months, macular sensitivity increased in the iERM group, but there was no statistically significant change in the dERM group. CONCLUSIONS: In dERM, the deep CFZ significantly increases after ILM peeling, whereas postoperative angiography changes were not significant in iERM. This could be because the impaired diabetic perifoveal capillary plexus are more sensitive to the iatrogenic damage to Müller cells, induced by peeling.

Optical coherence tomography angiography in myopic choroidal neovascularization after intravitreal ranibizumab.

PURPOSE:: To describe the optical coherence tomography angiography characteristics of myopic patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia during ranibizumab therapy. METHODS:: Nineteen patients were enrolled in this prospective study (13 females, 6 males, mean age 55.25 ± 9.63 years) for a total of 20 eyes examined (14 right eyes, 6 left eyes). Images were analyzed independently by two examiners. RESULTS:: Mean follow-up was 5.75 ± 1.88 months, with a mean intravitreal injections of 1.90 ± 0.44. Mean best-corrected visual acuity at baseline was 0.39 ± 0.18 logMAR versus 0.26 ± 0.16 logMAR 6 months after treatment. The neovascular area (Z = -2.091, p = 0.037) was significantly reduced after treatment, whereas vessel density was not (Z = -1.848, p = 0.065). Moreover, the best-corrected visual acuity was increased (Z = -3.055, p = 0.002). Neovascular area was significantly correlated with best-corrected visual acuity, at both baseline and follow-up (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION:: Our data suggest that optical coherence tomography angiography is a reproducible non-invasive examination with which to monitor changes in the neovascular area in patients with pathologic myopia treated with ranibizumab.