Flare levels after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab, aflibercept, or triamcinolone acetonide for diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To evaluate anterior flare intensity (AFI) and central retinal thickness (CRT) values after intravitreal injection of aflibercept (IVA), ranibizumab (IVR), or triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME).

METHODS: This research was conducted as a prospective study for patients with DME. Patients with phakia received either IVA or IVR, whereas patients with pseudophakia received IVA, IVR, or IVTA. AFI and CRT were measured using a laser flare meter and spectral domain optical coherence tomography, respectively, at days 0, 1, 7, 30, and 90.

RESULTS: Forty patients with phakia and 60 patients with pseudophakia were enrolled this study. In the IVTA group, AFI of pseudophakic eyes was significantly decreased at days 1 (p = 0.0487), 7 (p = 0.0201), and 30 (p = 0.0211). In the IVA group, AFI of phakic eyes was transiently increased at day 1 (p = 0.0078) and returned to baseline at day 7, whereas no significant change was observed in AFI of pseudophakic eyes. In the IVR group, there was no significant change in AFI regardless of phakic condition. All groups showed significant reduction in CRT at day 7 and later.

CONCLUSION: DME improved after treatment by IVTA, IVR, or IVA, whereas AFI was reduced only in eyes treated with IVTA. The temporal profiles of AFI are likely related to differences in the pharmacological properties of the drugs.