Improvement of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema with subconjunctival injections of interferon α2b:a case report

PURPOSE: To report a patient with resistant cystoid macular edema after an uneventful phacoemulsification cataract surgery who responded to subconjunctival interferon α2b injections. OBSERVATIONS: This report describes a 60-year-old male patient with pseudophakic cystoid macular edema that was unresponsive to multiple courses of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids during the follow-up period. Weekly subconjunctival interferon α2b (5 MIU/ml) was administered four times. Cystoid macular edema completely resolved after the 4th injection.During a six-month follow-up period, cystoid macular edema did not recur. No adverse local and systemic side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Weekly subconjunctival interferon α2b injections might be a safe and effective treatment modality in the treatment of stubborn pseudophakic cystoid macular edema to conventional treatment.