Role of intravitreal dexamethasone implant in HIV associated macular edema: A retrospective clinical trial

Abstract

To investigate the role of intravitreal sustained release dexamethasone implant in AIDS associated macular edema. Materials and Methods: This hospital based retrospective interventional study (nonrandomized) was conducted in Malda Medical College, West Bengal, India from September 2017 to august 2019 where 18 eyes of 18 patients with HIV were included. After proper history taking and required investigations, intravitreal sustained release dexamethasone implant was injected to each patient in respective eye under topical anaesthesia with strict aseptic measures and utmost care. Institutional clearance and written informed consent from each patient were taken before the procedure. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and central macular thickness (CMT) evaluation by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were performed at baseline and after 1 month, 3 months, 6 months of injection. The data obtained then were put for paired t test using SPSS software. Results: All patients had shown improvement in terms of BCVA as well as reduction of central macular thickness (CMT). 12 patients had increased IOP at first visit for which topical anti glaucoma drugs were prescribed and on subsequent visits their IOP were under control. Conclusion: Intravitreal sustained release dexamethasone implant is a good option to tackle macular edema in HIV infected patients.