Dexamethasone intravitreal implant as adjunct therapy for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration with incomplete response to ranibizumab

Purpose To evaluate the visual and anatomical outcomes of dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DXI; 700 mu g, Ozurdex; Allergan, Irvine, California, USA) as adjunctive therapy for patients with refractory wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods Retrospective review of the medical records of seven patients (seven eyes) who initially responded well to intravitreal ranibizumab but subsequently developed persistent intra/sub-retinal fluid (IRF/SRF) and underwent a single injection of DXI, between May 2012 and May 2013. Two weeks after DXI, the patients continued with their monthly ranibizumab injections. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were recorded at baseline, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after DXI injection. Complications were recorded too. Results All patients had at least 24 months of ranibizumab treatment. Mean age was 81.5 +/- 5.8 years. At baseline, mean BCVA was 0.53 +/- 0.13 logMAR (20/70 Snellen) and mean CRT was 273.14 +/- 50.94 mu m. BCVA did not change significantly after DXI over the follow-up period. However, all eyes had lost fewer than 0.3 logMAR units. Complete resolution of the persistent IRF/SRF was achieved in five eyes (71.4%) at 6 weeks, and remained stable at 3 months. Two weeks after DXI injection, the mean CRT diminished compared with baseline (248.28 +/- 31.8 mm; p= 0.03) and the greatest reduction was observed at 3 months after DXI injection (241.5 +/- 36.6 mm; p= 0.04). Progression of lens opacity was detected in one case (50% of phakic eyes). Retreatment with DXI was performed in two eyes. Conclusions DXI appears to be effective in vision stabilisation, decreasing IRF/SRF and improvement of CRT in eyes with refractory wet AMD.