Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34755239›Full record

ArticleInternational ophthalmology2022

Dexamethasone implant improves anatomic response to anti-VEGF therapy in treatment-resistant polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Kushanth Mallikarjun, Raja Narayanan, Rajiv Raman, Ashik Mohamed, Mahesh P Shanmugam, Rajendra S Apte, Srikant Kumar Padhy

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Article in International ophthalmology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor conundrum.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Kushanth MallikarjunWashington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Raja NarayananSmt. Kanuri Santhamma Centre for Vitreoretinal Diseases, Suven Clinical Research Centre, IHOPE Centre, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. narayanan@lvpei.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9688-5859
Rajiv RamanShri Bhagwan Mahavir Vitreoretinal Services, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India.
Ashik MohamedOphthalmic Biophysics, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh P ShanmugamSankara Eye Hospitals, Bengaluru, India.
Rajendra S ApteWashington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Srikant Kumar PadhyVitreoretinal Diseases, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Bhubaneswar, India.
L V Prasad Eye Institute · INWashington University in St. Louis · USEye Hospital in Bangalore · INSankara Nethralaya · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA significant proportion of eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) can be resistant to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections. We evaluated the efficacy of a combination of dexamethasone intravitreal implant (DXI) and anti-VEGF therapy in eyes resistant to anti-VEGF monotherapy.

methodsIn this retrospective study, patients with PCV resistant to anti-VEGF injections were additionally injected with a DXI along with an anti-VEGF agent. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp examination, fundus evaluation, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data were analyzed. Anatomical response on OCT was the primary outcome measure. Change in visual acuity and injection-free interval after DXI were evaluated as secondary outcome measures.

resultsTwelve eyes of 11 patients were included in the study. Mean age of patients at presentation was 64.7 ± 9.5 years (range, 49-78.8 years), and there were seven females (63.6%). Median number of anti-VEGF injections prior to DXI was 4 (interquartile range IQR, 3-7). Median follow-up duration after DXI was 32.2 months (IQR, 6.6-41.6 months). Median logMAR BCVA immediately prior to DXI was 0.41 (IQR, 0.30-0.88) and after injection was 0.40 (IQR, 0.30-1.05), which was not significantly different (p = 0.85). Median Central Retinal Thickness (CRT) after DXI was 305.5 µm (IQR, 249-409 µm), which was significantly (p = 0.003) lesser than pre-injection thickness of 547 µm (IQR, 431-771 µm). Median injection-free interval in these eyes after DXI was 5 months (IQR, 2.8-6.4 months). Kaplan-Meier estimates of first injection after DXI were 27.3% at 3 months, 67.3% at 6 months, and 89.1% at 12 months.

conclusionsDexamethasone implant combined with anti-VEGF treatment can prolong the treatment-free interval in eyes with PCV resistant to anti-VEGF injection while maintaining visual acuity.

Indexed as

Angiogenesis InhibitorsVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AAgedDexamethasoneFemaleFluorescein AngiographyFollow-Up StudiesHumansIntravitreal InjectionsMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTomography, Optical CoherenceAngiogenesis InhibitorsDexamethasoneVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AAnti-VEGFDexamethasone intravitreal implantIntravitreal injectionOptical coherence tomographyPolypoidal choroidal vasculopathyTreatment resistanceVisual acuity

Identifiers

PMID34755239
OpenAlexW3163469813

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.