Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39338397›Full record

ArticlePharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)2024

Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant in Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Pretreated Diabetic Macular Edema-A Swiss Cohort Study.

Ferhat Turgut, Gábor M Somfai, Christoph Tappeiner, Katja Hatz, Irmela Mantel, Aude Ambresin, Guy Donati, Viviane Guignard, Dana Nagyová, Isabel B Pfister and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Ferhat TurgutDepartment of Ophthalmology, Stadtspital Zürich, 8063 Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8118-1610
Gábor M SomfaiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Stadtspital Zürich, 8063 Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-6329-442X
Christoph TappeinerDepartment of Ophthalmology, Pallas Kliniken, 4600 Olten, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-6907-1112
Katja HatzVista Augenklinik Binningen, 4102 Binningen, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-2807-0310
Irmela MantelUniversity Eye Hospital Jules Gonin, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Aude AmbresinSwiss Visio Montchoisi, 1006 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Guy DonatiCentre Ophtalmologique de la Colline, Clinique la Colline, 1205 Geneve, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0006-6848-6774
Viviane GuignardDepartment of Ophthalmology, Stadtspital Zürich, 8063 Zurich, Switzerland.
Dana NagyováPallas Klinik, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Isabel B PfisterSwiss Eye Institute and Clinic for Vitreoretinal Diseases, Berner Augenklinik, 3007 Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-8752-8390
Christine SchildSwiss Eye Institute and Clinic for Vitreoretinal Diseases, Berner Augenklinik, 3007 Bern, Switzerland.
Justus G GarwegSwiss Eye Institute and Clinic for Vitreoretinal Diseases, Berner Augenklinik, 3007 Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-3973-5082

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesDiabetic macular edema (DME) is a significant cause of visual impairment, often treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. However, some patients do not respond adequately to this treatment. This study aims to evaluate the contribution of the intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant as a second-line treatment in DME patients with insufficient response to anti-VEGF therapy or with high treatment burden.

methodsThis retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted across seven clinical sites in Switzerland. The study included eyes with active DME that had been pretreated with anti-VEGF for at least six months before receiving DEX therapy. Data were extracted from electronic patient records, focusing on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield thickness (CST), and injection frequency.

resultsA total of 95 eyes from 89 patients (38.8% females, mean age 65.6 ± 9.1 years, follow-up time 80.6 ± 38.5 [13.5-166.7] months) were analyzed. Prior to the first DEX implant, eyes had undergone an average of 16.0 ± 13.3 anti-VEGF injections over 32.5 ± 22.4 months. Post-DEX treatment, 22.1% of eyes received DEX monotherapy, 44.2% received a combination of DEX and anti-VEGF, 25.3% continued with anti-VEGF monotherapy, and 8.4% received no further treatment. The number of anti-VEGF injections decreased significantly from 6.4 ± 3.1 in the year before DEX to 1.6 ± 2.4 in the year after DEX (

conclusionsIn real-world clinical settings, the addition of DEX to anti-VEGF therapy in DME patients significantly reduces treatment burden and retinal fluid while maintaining visual function. Treatment decisions should balance anatomical and functional outcomes, considering individual patient needs.

Indexed as

anti-VEGFdiabetic macular edemaintravitreal dexamethasone implant

Identifiers

PMID39338397
PMCPMC11434786

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.