title: Current intravitreal pharmacologic therapies for diabetic macular edema.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults; it is a highly prevalent cause of vision loss overall and has a potent impact on the quality of life in those with diabetes mellitus and public health in general. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. In patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic hyperglycemia leads to activation of the inflammatory cascade and retinal capillary damage that result in microaneurysm formation in the retina. In addition to the possibility of associated ischemia, microaneurysms are hyperpermeable; the resultant loss of the blood-retinal barrier leads to vision loss if consequent edema involves the center of the fovea. The standard of DME therapy for >25 years was focal laser photocoagulation applied to or near the microaneurysms. However, results from clinical trials of intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) blockers and corticosteroids for the treatment of DME have led to a dramatic paradigm shift away from laser therapy to primary treatment with these pharmacologic agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline literature search of approaches for treating DME.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intravitreal pharmacologic treatments with anti-VEGF agents and corticosteroids have recently been shown to be superior to laser treatment of DME.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The existence of pharmacologic treatment of DME, shown to be superior to laser monotherapy, has created a seismic change in the approach of treatment of these patients. This review provides a summary of the therapies and the rationale regarding the current pharmacologic therapy of DME.
authors.affiliation: South Jersey Eye Physicians, Retina , Moorestown, NJ 08057 , USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colucciello
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000069579:Ranibizumab
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D005938:Glucocorticoids; C495058:pegaptanib; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab
keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; corticosteroids; diabetic macular edema; macular edema; vascular endothelial growth factor