title: Changes in macular function after ozurdex for retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate changes in macular function after intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) for macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen treatment-naive patients with RVO-related ME were treated with intravitreal Ozurdex and followed up to 6 months to evaluate functional outcomes, by means of best-corrected visual acuity, microperimetry, and multifocal electroretinography, and their correlations with morphological parameters by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen eyes of 19 patients were included for analysis. At 1 month, mean best-corrected visual acuity, retinal sensitivity, and central macular thickness (CMT) improved from 0.50 ± 0.34 LogMAR, 10.51 ± 4.31 dB, and 762 ± 259 μm (baseline) to 0.38 ± 0.34 LogMAR (p = 0.043), 12.28 ± 5.06 dB (p = 0.025), and 385 ± 191 μm (p = 0.001), respectively. At 3 months, improvement of mean retinal sensitivity and CMT was still significant (11.62 ± 5.05 dB [p = 0.047] and 518 ± 251 μm [p = 0.006]). Multifocal electroretinography measurements also showed (nonsignificant) improvement. No significant changes in choroidal thickness were recorded. Improvements recorded during the first 3 months were no longer significant from month 4. At each time point, we found a negative significant correlation between CMT and retinal sensitivity. Interestingly, 7 eyes did not undergo retreatment of less than 6 months; these eyes showed a significantly better baseline retinal sensitivity than eyes requiring retreatment of less than 6 months (12.27 ± 3.52 dB vs. 9.48 ± 4.53 dB [p = 0.038]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In eyes with ME secondary to RVO, intravitreal dexamethasone implant provides functional benefits as soon as 1 month after treatment. In most cases, the optimum retreatment interval is less than 6 months from first intravitreal Ozurdex. Microperimetry is a very useful tool to characterize macular function. Baseline macular sensitivity may predict the need for early (<6 months) retreatment.
authors.affiliation: *MD, PhD †MD ‡MD, FEBO Department of Ophthalmology, University Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy (all authors); and Department of Ophthalmology, University Paris Est Creteil, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Creteil, Creteil, France (GQ).
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Querques
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cascavilla
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavallero
authors.forename: Giacinto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triolo
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Querques
authors.forename: Rosangela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lattanzio
authors.forename: Maria Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Cicinelli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Preziosa
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borrelli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bandello
mesh_terms: D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004343:Drug Implants; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019233:Retreatment; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone