[Diabetic maculopathy]

Abstract

Diabetic maculopathy is the result of multifactorial and complex alterations of the retinal capillaries in association with diabetes mellitus and is divided into two forms, ischemic maculopathy and diabetic macular edema. Diabetic macular edema is the leading cause of blindness among people of working age. The functional and morphological results of intravitreal pharmacotherapy in cases of fovea-involving macular edema using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors such as ranibizumab and aflibercept obtained in large randomized clinical trials are excellent and are superior to results obtained with focal or grid laser coagulation alone. Steroids including dexamethasone and fluocinolone implants represent approved alternatives, although flucinolone is considered a second-line therapy in refractory and chronic cases. VEGF inhibitors can be used in different treatment strategies such as PRN and treat and extend strategies. Focal laser photocoagulation remains the gold standard for macular edema not involving the fovea (and therefore usually good visual acuity). Laser is also still indicated as a panretinal photocoagulation of peripheral retinal ischemic areas in order to prevent neovascular complications. It remains to be proven whether panretinal photocoagulation can have an effect on the treatment intervals of intravitreal pharmacotherapy, too. Surgical treatments such as vitrectomy are today limited to cases of macular edema with concomitant obvious tractional pathologies at the vitreoretinal interface.

Keywords: Blindness; Laser coagulation; Macular edema; Steroids; Vascular endothelial growth factor.