Prevalence of bacillary layer detachment in diabetic macular edema and response to 3 anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography is widely used in maculopathy, including diabetic macular edema (DME). Bacillary layer detachment (BALAD) is a novel optical coherence tomography finding, defined as the separation of the intraretinal layer between the inner segment myoids and ellipsoids. A total of 161 treatment-naïve eyes with centrally involved DME that underwent 3 monthly loading doses of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. BALAD was found in 6.2% of eyes with concurrent subretinal fluid (SRF). All eyes were divided into 3 groups: no either group had neither SRF or BALAD; the SRF only group had SRF but no BALAD; and the BALAD group had both SRF and BALAD. A significant increase in baseline central foveal thickness (CFT) in the BALAD group was observed (no either vs SRF only vs BALAD, baseline CFT: 387.6 ± 74.29 vs 440.6 ± 106.79 vs 642.0 ± 188.86; P < .01). Total resolution of BALAD was noted after anti-VEGF therapy, along with a significant decrease in CFT in all groups (CFT decrease: 82.4 ± 87.07 vs 187.6 ± 138.88 vs 252.1 ± 127.63; P < .01). Eyes with BALAD tended to have the worst baseline visual acuity (baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution VA: 0.76 ± 0.353 vs 0.63 ± 0.303 vs 1.15 ± 0.300; P = .046) but showed the most improvement after treatment (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution VA change: −0.14 ± 0.235 vs −0.22 ± 0.275 vs −0.27 ± 0.250; P = .079). After resolution of BALAD, all eyes in the BALAD group exhibited ellipsoid zone and/or interdigitation zone disruption corresponding to the BALAD area. BALAD is a novel optical coherence tomography finding associated with a spectrum of diseases including DME. With anti-VEGF therapy, total resolution of BALAD and a significant decrease in CFT can be obtained. However, ellipsoid zone/interdigitation zone disruption tended to develop.