Vitreomacular interface abnormalities in patients with diabetic macular oedema and their implications on the response to anti-VEGF therapy

PURPOSE: To determine whether the presence of vitreomacular interface abnormalities (VMIA) in patients with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) modifies the response to ranibizumab. METHODS: Medical records and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scans of consecutive patients with centre-involving DMO initiating therapy with ranibizumab between December 2013 and March 2014 at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust were reviewed. Patients were identified through an electronic database. Demographics; systemic baseline characteristics; history of previous ocular surgery/laser; best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT) and stage of retinopathy at presentation; and BCVA, CRT and presence/absence of fluid at the last follow-up were recorded. OCT scans were reviewed by a masked investigator who graded them for the presence/absence of VMIA at baseline and during follow-up and for the change in the posterior hyaloid face during follow-up. The association between (1) VMIA at baseline and (2) the change in the posterior hyaloid face during the follow-up and functional/anatomical outcomes was evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred forty-six eyes of 100 patients (mean age 63.5 years) followed for a mean of 9 months (range 2–14 months; only 9/146 dropped to follow-up before month 6) were included. Statistically significant differences were observed at baseline in BCVA (p = 0.007), previous macular laser and panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) (p = 0.006) and previous cataract surgery (p = 0.01) between eyes with and without VMIA, with better levels of vision, higher frequency of macular laser and lower frequency of PRP in eyes where no VMIA was present. Multivariable regression analysis did not disclose any statistically significant associations between VMIA at baseline or change in the posterior hyaloid face during the follow-up and functional and anatomical outcomes following treatment. CONCLUSION: VMIA are associated with worse presenting vision in patients with DMO; VMIA or change in the posterior hyaloid face during the follow-up did not modify the response to ranibizumab in this study.