Photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema

Bibliometric and visualized analysis of diabetic macular edema

PURPOSE

Our aim was to identify recent research trends on diabetic macular edema (DME) and focus on publications from different countries, institutions, and authors.

METHODS

We retrieved and analyzed data from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2022 on the DME research field from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer were applied to perform visualization analysis and evaluate the trends.

RESULTS

A total of 4482 publications were identified, and the annual global publications increased steadily, from 36 to 390, during this period. The United States (1339 publications, 71,754 citations), Johns Hopkins University (176 publications, 17,015 citations), and Bressler NM (76 publications, 9621 citations) were the most influential and productive countries, institutions, and authors, respectively. The top 100 keywords were classified into five clusters: (1) therapy and adverse effects of DME; (2) clinical biomarkers of DME; (3) mechanistic research on DME; (4) improving bioavailability and efficacy; and (5) early diagnosis of diabetic complications. "Diabetic macular edema," "retinopathy," "ranibizumab," and "optical coherence tomography angiography" were the most frequent keywords. Regarding the average appearing years (AAYs) of the keywords, "deep learning" (AAY:2020.83), "optical coherence tomography angiography" (AAY:2019.59), "intravitreal Aflibercept" (AAY:2019.29), and "dexamethasone implant" (AAY:2019.20) were recognized as the hotspots of the DME research area in the short run.

CONCLUSION

In the past two decades, the United States was in master status in DME research. Although intravitreal drug injection has been the mainstream therapy for a long time, the effectiveness of different drugs, such as dexamethasone, new solutions for drug delivery, such as intravitreal implantation, and more accurate tools for the classification and follow-up of DME patients, such as deep learning systems, are still research hotspots.

Title: efficacy of intravitreal dexamethasone implant on hard exudate in diabetic macular edema

Background

To investigate the effect of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEX implant) on hard exudate (HE) accompanying diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods

This study was a non-comparative non-randomized 1-year prospective interventional study. Patients with DME and HE were treated using DEX implant two or three times. Color fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed at every visit. HE area was measured semi-automatically from the fundus photographs.

Results

Thirty-five patients completed the study. Eleven patients (31.4%) received two injections, while the remaining received three times. HE area (primary outcome) significantly decreased from 1.404±2.094 mm2 (baseline) to 0.212±0.592 mm2 (last visit), which was 24% of the baseline HE area (P<0.001). HE1500 (HE within 1500 μm from the fovea) area also decreased significantly from 0.382±0.467 mm2 to 0.066±0.126 mm2 (P<0.001). Furthermore, anaverage best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement of 4.4 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters was observed (from 49.9±18.3 to 54.3±20.4 letters) (P= 0.008). Central macular thickness (CMT) decreased from 455.8±23.6 μm to 366.8±31.1 μm (P=0.009). Repetitive measurements for entire study duration was analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE), where BCVA was related to age, CMT, and HE1500 area in multivariate analyses.

Conclusion

DEX implant could reduce and suppress HE in DME for one year with two or three injections. And centrally located HE area (HE1500 area) is related to vision.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02399657, Registered 26 March 2015. 

Retinal structural changes in preterm children without retinopathy of prematurity

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to compare all retinal layers' thickness in full-term and preterm children without retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

METHODS

Cross-sectional study including two groups of patients: group 1 children with history of preterm gestation without ROP (gestational age < 37 weeks) and group 2 healthy children with history of full-term gestation. All subjects underwent an ophthalmic examination including spectral domain-optical coherence tomography. After automatic retinal segmentation, each retinal layer thickness (eight separate layers and overall thickness) was calculated in all nine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study areas. Demographic, systemic, gestational, and birth data were collected. Generalized additive regression models were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Fifty-one children (51 eyes) were recruited, 19 full-term and 32 preterm children, mean age at ophthalmic examination of 10.58 (4.21) and 14.13 (3.16), respectively. In multivariable analysis, the preterm group's retinal thickness was significantly decreased in total retina nasal outer sector, ganglion cell layer (GCL), and inner plexiform layer (IPL), specifically GCL temporal outer (p = 0.010), GCL superior outer (p = 0.009), IPL temporal outer (p = 0.022), and IPL superior outer (p = 0.004), when compared with full-term group. From the variables compared only with birth head circumference that influenced the models, a non-linear association was identified and consequently modeled with splines through a generalized additive model.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that preterm children without ROP have structural retinal alterations, mostly in GCL and IPL in outer areas of the macula. Therefore, it is crucial to question gestational history since these retinal changes may be found later in life leading to useless investigation.

Ocular telehealth initiatives in diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of new-onset vision loss in adults worldwide. Current medical and surgical evidence-based care, including laser photocoagulation, is effective in preserving vision. This care is most effective prior to the onset of ocular or visual symptoms, but many diabetic persons do not receive the recommended annual eye examination for the evaluation of the retina for level of DR. With diabetes incidence and prevalence increasing at epidemic rates and the prediction that 370 million people worldwide will have diabetes by the year 2030, human and fiscal resources will be unable to meet the visual needs with current acute care methods. Appropriate and validated telemedicine programs for DR hold the promise of both enrolling patients into appropriate eye care programs and, more importantly, providing more effective, high-quality diabetes eye care based on current and developing technology.

Guidelines for quality assurance in multicenter trials: a position paper

In the wake of reports of falsified data in one of the trials of the National Surgical Adjuvant Project for Breast and Bowel Cancer supported by the National Cancer Institute, clinical trials came under close scrutiny by the public, the press, and Congress. Questions were asked about the quality and integrity of the collected data and the analyses and conclusions of trials. In 1995, the leaders of the Society for Clinical Trials (the Chair of the Policy Committee, Dr. David DeMets, and the President of the Society, Dr. Sylvan Green) asked two members of the Society (Dr. Genell Knatterud and Dr. Frank Rockhold) to act as co-chairs of a newly formed subcommittee to discuss the issues of data integrity and auditing. In consultation with Drs. DeMets and Green, the co-chairs selected other members (Ms. Franca Barton, Dr. C.E. Davis, Dr. Bill Fairweather, Dr. Stephen George, Mr. Tom Honohan, Dr. Richard Mowery, and Dr. Robert O'Neill) to serve on the subcommittee. The subcommittee considered "how clean clinical trial data should be, to what extent auditing procedures are required, and who should conduct audits and how often." During the initial discussions, the subcommittee concluded that data auditing was insufficient to achieve data integrity. Accordingly, the subcommittee prepared this set of guidelines for standards of quality assurance for multicenter clinical trials. We include recommendations for appropriate action if problems are detected.

Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study design and baseline patient characteristics. ETDRS report number 7

The Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), a multicenter collaborative clinical trial supported by the National Eye Institute, was designed to assess whether argon laser photocoagulation or aspirin treatment can reduce the risk of visual loss or slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy in patients with mild-to-severe nonproliferative or early proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The 3711 patients enrolled in the ETDRS were assigned randomly to either aspirin (650 mg per day) or placebo. One eye of each patient was assigned randomly to early argon laser photocoagulation and the other to deferral of photocoagulation. Both eyes were to be examined at least every 4 months and photocoagulation was to be initiated in eyes assigned to deferral as soon as high-risk proliferative retinopathy was detected. Examination of a large number of baseline ocular and patient characteristics indicated that there were no important differences between randomized treatment groups at baseline.

Detecting and treating retinopathy in patients with type I diabetes mellitus. A health policy model

Diabetic retinopathy is the major cause of new cases of blindness among working-age Americans. The authors analyzed the medical and economic implications of alternative screening strategies for detecting retinopathy in a diabetic population. The approaches compared included dilated fundus examination at 6-, 12-, and 24-month intervals with and without fundus photography. Potential savings from screening and treatment are based on amounts paid by the federal government for blindness-related disability. Screening for and treating retinopathy in patients with type I diabetes mellitus was cost-effective using all screening strategies. Between 71,474 and 85,315 person years of sight and 76,886 and 94,705 person years of reading vision can be saved for each annual cohort of patients with type I diabetes mellitus when proper laser photocoagulation is administered. This results in a cost savings of $62.1 to $108.6 million. Annual examination of all diabetic patients and semi-annual examination of those with retinopathy was more effective than annual examination with fundus photography. This screening strategy is consistent with the Preferred Practice Pattern for Diabetic Retinopathy of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Cost effectiveness of current approaches to the control of retinopathy in type I diabetics

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness among working age Americans. The epidemiology of diabetic eye disease has been well described in population-based studies and the effects of laser treatment have been tested in randomized controlled trials. The authors have designed a computer simulation model using the published reports of these studies to predict the medical and economic effects of applying currently accepted methods for the control of diabetic retinopathy to the population of type I diabetics. Recommendations for screening are taken from the Public Health Committee of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Treatment recommendations and treatment efficacy are drawn from the reports of the Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS) and the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS). Costs of screening and treatment are drawn from published Medicare reimbursement data. Over a 60-year period, the model predicts that proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) requiring panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) will eventually develop in 72% of type I diabetics and macular edema will develop in 42%. If these treatments are delivered as recommended in the clinical trials, the model predicts a cost of $966 per person-year of vision saved from proliferative retinopathy and $1118 per person-year of central acuity saved from macular edema. This is only one seventh of the $6900 average cost of 1 year of Social Security Disability for those disabled by vision loss. Therefore, this model supports the use of federally funded eye care to prevent blindness in medically uninsured diabetics.