title: Pharmacological approach to diabetic macular edema.
abstract: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a highly prevalent cause of vision loss and has a remarkable impact on public health, and on the quality of life of diabetic patients. Even though laser photocoagulation has been the standard of care for decades, a substantial group of patients are unresponsive and fail to improve after laser treatment. Recently, new pharmacological approaches based on the use of intravitreal drugs, such as corticosteroids and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, have revolutionized the treatment of DME. The use of intravitreal drugs is supported by the improvement in visual acuity reported by several clinical trials and can limit the potentially destructive effects of the laser treatment. Encouraging results also emerged from studies evaluating the use of a combination therapy, or the association of intravitreal drugs and laser treatment. This review aims at providing a brief synopsis of the main investigations regarding the current pharmacological approach to DME.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bandello
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casalino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loewenstein
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pelayes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battaglia Parodi
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004343:Drug Implants; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004343:Drug Implants; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A