Effects of Dexamethasone Implant on Contralateral Central Foveal and Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Unilateral Uveitic Macular Edema
Keywords:
choroidal thickness, dexamethasone implant, uveitic macular edemaAbstract
Objectives: To investigate the effect of intravitreal dexamethasone implant application on retinal and choroidal thickness of contralateral eye of the patients with uveitic macular edema.
Materials and Methods: This study included 17 patients with non-infectious uveitic macular edema treated with intravitreal dexamethasone implantation. The central foveal thickness (CFT) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) measurement taken by swept-source optical coherence tomography were evaluated retrospectively at the pre- and postinjection 1st, 3rd, 6th months, and its relationship with visual acuity was investigated.
Results: Four (23.5%) of the patients had intermediate, 3 (17.6%) had anterior and 10 (58.8%) of them had panuveitis. The mean CFT and SFCT of the eyes with intravitreal implants were 494.3 171.1 and 346.1
68.8 μm respectively. A statistically significant reduction in CFT was observed at the 1st (318.1
65.0, p < 0.001), 3rd (314.2
74.2, p < 0.001), and 6th (320.6
77.1, p < 0.001) months following intravitreal injection. There was a statistically significant decrease of SFCT from the baseline in the 1st month (203.9
62.1 μm, p < 0.001), 3rd month (222.1
61.6 μm, p = 0.002) and 6th month (224.3
72.6 μm, p = 0.023) after the injection. The mean CFT of contralateral eyes was 205.8
55.0 μm before injection and did not change significantly post-injection. The mean SFCT of the contralateral eyes before the injection was 311.2
72.9 μm. Decrease in SFCT of the contralateral eyes at 1st month (288.6
68.5 μm)(p = 0.02) was statistically significant. No significant change was observed in visual acuity after injection in contralateral eyes.
Conclusion: Decrease in the choroidal thickness of the contralateral eyes of patients was so limited and temporary that they did not reflect on their visual acuity. Therefore, it was thought that this may be secondary to the small amount of systemic absorption of intravitreal dexamethasone
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