Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40980399›Full record

ArticlePakistan journal of medical sciences2025

Efficacy of fluocinolone acetonide implant in diabetic macular edema patients previously treated with dexamethasone implant: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Weiping Hu, Liyang Ni, Huangfang Ying, Zilong Zhang, Shudan Tu, Yonggang Tao, Lanping Chen

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07301775 (A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Efficacy of Single Versus Multiple Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Injections to Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy Progression in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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.

NCT07301775 phase4not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Efficacy of Single Versus Multiple Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Injections to Prevent Diabetic Retinopathy Progression in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery

TypeinterventionalSponsorAhmad Zeeshan JamilRan2026 to 2026Enrolled166ConditionsDiabetic Retinopathy (DR), Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), Cataract, Phacoemulfisication+IOL ImplantationArmsAflibercept (Eylea)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

7 authors.

Weiping HuWeiping Hu Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.
Liyang NiLiyang Ni Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.
Huangfang YingHuangfang Ying Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.
Zilong ZhangZilong Zhang Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.
Shudan TuShudan Tu Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.
Yonggang TaoYonggang Tao Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.
Lanping ChenLanping Chen Department of Anesthesia Operation, Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province 312000, P.R. China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background & Objective: Several diabetic macular edema (DME) patients are resistant to anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) injections and are treated with corticosteroid implants. Dexamethasone implants (DEXI) are popular, but fluocinolone acetonide implants (FACI) are being used as third-line DME therapy, given their convenience and prolonged action. The efficacy of FACI in patients previously treated with DEXI remains understudied. We collated evidence from single-arm studies examining the efficacy and safety of FACI in DME patients treated with DEXI. Methodology: We explored the websites of Embase, PubMed, PubMed CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Scopus up to January 15, 2025. Pre and post-FACI best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) were compared. Results: Eight studies with 365 eyes were included. Meta-analysis showed that use of FACI was associated with statistically significant improvement in BCVA (letters) at three months (MD: 5.40 95% CI: 0.13, 10.67 I Conclusions: Use of FACI in patients previously treated with DEXI results in anatomical improvement but may be associated with limited visual gain. The use of FACI seems safe without significant change in IOP.

Indexed as

Diabetic retinopathyFluocinolone acetonideMacular edemaSteroids

Identifiers

PMID40980399
PMCPMC12444131

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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.