Efficacy and Safety of Primary Intravitreal 2 mg Aflibercept for Cystoid Macular Edema after Phacoemulsification

Abstract

Waseem M AlZamil and Basem A Diab

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of primary intravitreal 2 mg aflibercept (Eylea) in patients with cystoid macular edema (CME) after phacoemulsification. Methods: In this retrospective study, 13 eyes of 13 consecutive patients affected by CME after uncomplicated phacoemulsification administered at least one intravitreal injection of 2 mg aflibercept as a primary treatment were recruited. At baseline and follow-up visits, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) were determined and ophthalmoscopic examination was performed. Results: The mean follow-up period was 30 weeks (range 24-49 weeks). The mean duration of CME before treatment with aflibercept was 3.3 months (range 2-8 months). Mean baseline BCVA was 0.83 ± 0.28 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and it had improved to 0.45 ± 0.30 logMAR at the final follow-up (p < 0.001). Mean CFT at baseline was 465.5 ± 100.2 μm, and it had decreased significantly to 282.9 ± 63.1 μm at the final follow-up (p < 0.001). Four Patients (30.8%) required a second intravitreal injection, and 3 (23.1%) required a third injection. No significant systemic or ocular complications were observed. Conclusion: Short-term results suggest that primary intravitreal aflibercept is effective and safe in eyes with macular edema associated with phacoemulsification. Treated patients exhibited a significant decrease in CFT and improvement in BCVA. Further prospective controlled studies including more subjects and longer follow-up periods are warranted, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal aflibercept injection.

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