Evaluation of Intravitreal Injection of Ranibizumab in Diabetic Macular Edema

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the intravitreal injection of antivascular endothelial growth factor of ranibizumab in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).BackgroundThe study evaluated short-term and long-term effects of ranibizumab on the morphology and function of the retina.Patients and methodsFifty eyes of 44 patients with DME were enrolled in this prospective study. After intravitreal ranibizumab injection, central macular thickness (CMT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were measured before, 1, 2, 3, and 6 months later.ResultsThe mean CMT and logarithm of minimum angle of resolution BCVA improved significantly (P < 0.001) after the first, second, and third injections. Three eyes did not show improvement in CMT while seven eyes did not show improvement in BCVA. The most significant (P < 0.0001) correlation in mean CMT and logarithm of minimum angle of resolution BCVA is seen after the first month. In addition, significant change is seen in CMT (P = 0.001, 0.002) and BCVA (P = 0.0001, 0.001) between the first and second month and second and third month, respectively. Three months after the last injection, mean CMT insignificantly (P = 0.24) increased, and mean BCVA insignificantly (P = 0.51) decreased, but they were still significant with baseline. There was a significant correlation (P < 0.001) between the mean change in CMT and BCVA at all stages of the study.ConclusionIn DME, intravitreal ranibizumab effectively decreased CMT as a structural aspect and hence improved BCVA as a functional aspect. Evaluation of the short-term effects of ranibizumab can predict the therapeutic outcome 1 month after injection.