title: Intravitreal Injection of Ozurdex(®) Implant in Patients with Persistent Diabetic Macular Edema, with Six-Month Follow-Up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal dexamethasone injections in diabetic macular edema (DME).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 700 μg slow-release intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®) was placed in the vitreal cavity of 17 patients (19 eyes) affected with persistent DME. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed through Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS). Central macular thickness (CMT) was measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. BCVA and CMT examinations were carried out at baseline (T0) and repeated after three days, one month (T1), three months (T3), four months (T4), and six months (T6) post injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dexamethasone implant induced an improvement in ETDRS at T1, T3, T4, and T6 post injection. CMT was reduced at T1, T3, and T4, while at T6, CMT values were not statistically different from baseline. No complications were observed during the follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that dexamethasone implant is effective in reducing DME symptoms within a six-month frame.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacella
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Adriana Francesca
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ferraresi
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosalia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giustolisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bottone
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fameli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS, Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pacella
keywords: dexamethasone; diabetes; intravitreal implant; macular edema