title: [Foveolar effects of dexamethasone intravitreal implant in central retinal vein occlusion].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate functional and morphometric parameters of the central retina in patients with postocclusive macular edema treated with dexamethasone intravitreal implant injection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 5 patients (5 eyes) with newly diagnosed central retinal vein occlusion complicated by macular edema, including 4 men and 1 woman aged 55.8±3.65 years (experimental group). All the patients received a single injection of dexamethasone intravitreal implant. The maximum follow-up period was 12 months. The control group consisted of 5 presbiopic patients (10 eyes) aged 59.14±3.14 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One month after injection, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal light sensitivity improved (from 0.09±0.03 to 0.19±0.05 and from 3.18±0.19 to 11.07±0.97 dB, correspondingly), while foveolar thickness decreased from 425.36±57.87 to 273.75±36.65 µm. One year after the treatment, BCVA remained high and averaged 0.21±0.14. The total light sensitivity also remained higher than that at baseline, however, decreased down to 4.8±0.76 dB. Optical coherence tomography showed some flatness of the fovea. Foveolar thickness appeared 1.5 times higher than that in the control group and 1.2 times higher than that at the 1-month follow-up after dexamethasone intravitreal implant injection. Over the whole follow-up period, IOP has never significantly exceeded the baseline, optical media remained clear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Dexamethasone intravitreal implant has been shown effective in resolving postocclusive macular edema, improving visual functions, and increasing central retinal light sensitivity within the first month after injection. 2. Positive changes in morphometric parameters of the central retina induced by the injection involve inner segments of photoreceptors as well as the outer nuclear, outer plexiform and inner nuclear layers. The morphofunctional effect persists for no less than 12 months after injection. 3. Over the 1-year follow-up period, there has been no negative influence of the implant on either intraocular pressure level, or lens transparency.
authors.affiliation: Ufa Eye Research Institute, 90 Pushkina St., Ufa, Russian Federation, 450008.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bikbov
authors.affiliation: Ufa Eye Research Institute, 90 Pushkina St., Ufa, Russian Federation, 450008.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Fayzrakhmanov
authors.affiliation: Ufa Eye Research Institute, 90 Pushkina St., Ufa, Russian Federation, 450008.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Gil'manshin
authors.affiliation: Ufa Eye Research Institute, 90 Pushkina St., Ufa, Russian Federation, 450008.
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Gilyazova
mesh_terms: D000221:Adaptation, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D058449:Intravitreal Injections / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone