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OCT-based biomarkers for predicting treatment response in eyes with centre-involved diabetic macular oedema treated with anti-VEGF injections: a real-life retina clinic-based study
  1. Simon KH Szeto1,2,
  2. Vivian W. K. Hui1,2,
  3. Fang Yao Tang1,
  4. Dawei Yang1,
  5. Zi han Sun1,
  6. Shaheeda Mohamed1,2,
  7. Carmen K M Chan1,2,
  8. Timothy Y Y Lai1,
  9. Carol Cheung1
  1. 1 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  2. 2 Department of Ophthalmology, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  1. Correspondence to Dr Carol Cheung, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong; carolcheung{at}cuhk.edu.hk

Abstract

Background/aims To determine whether a combination of baseline and change in spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT)-based biomarkers can predict visual outcomes in eyes with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) treated with antivascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) injections.

Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted in Hong Kong, China. 196 eyes with centre-involving DMO, who received anti-VEGF injections between 1 January 2011 and 30 June 2018 were recruited. Medical records of the participants were retrieved retrospectively, visual acuity (VA) at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months and SD-OCT before initiation and after completion of anti-VEGF treatment were obtained. The SD-OCT images were evaluated for the morphology of DMO, vitreomacular status, presence of disorganisation of retinal inner layers (DRIL), sizes of intraretinal cysts, visibility of external limiting membrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ) and cone outer segment tip (COST) and the presence of hyper-reflective foci in retina or the choroid.

Results The presence of baseline DRIL, hyper-reflective foci in retina and disruption of ELM/EZ and COST were associated with worse baseline and subsequent VA up to 24 months after treatment. Improvement in DRIL (p=0.048), ELM/EZ (p=0.001) and COST (p=0.002) disruption after treatment was associated with greater improvement in VA at 12 months. Eyes with cystoid macular oedema (p=0.003, OR=8.18) and serous retinal detachment (p=0.011, OR=4.84) morphology were more likely to achieve at least 20% reduction in central subfield thickness.

Conclusion and relevance Baseline SD-OCT biomarkers and their subsequent change predict VA and improvement in vision in eyes with DMO treated with anti-VEGF injections. We proposed an SD-OCT-based system that can be readily used in real-life eye clinics to improve decision making in the management of DMO.

  • diagnostic tests/Investigation
  • imaging
  • macula

Data availability statement

All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplemental information.

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Data availability statement

All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as online supplemental information.

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Footnotes

  • Contributors SKHS designed the study, analysed the data, drafted the manuscript and is responsible for the content of the study as guarantor. VWKH collected the data. FYT, DY and ZHS collected and analysed the data. SM, CKMC and TYYL revised the manuscript. CC designed and revised the manuscript.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.

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