Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40206271›Full record

ArticleInternational medical case reports journal2025

Efficacy of Aflibercept (8 mg) for Diabetic Macular Edema in Vitrectomized Eyes Refractory to the Other Anti-VEGF Drug Therapies: A Report of Three Cases.

Ikumi Kashiwagi, Ryota Nonaka, Shotaro Sasaki, Takuto Yamamoto, Kanako Yasuda, Masahiko Shimura

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in International medical case reports journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies in ophthalmology.Medical hypothesis, discovery & innovation ophthalmology journal · 2025
    Review
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

6 authors.

Ikumi KashiwagiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
Ryota NonakaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
Shotaro SasakiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
Takuto YamamotoDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
Kanako YasudaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.
Masahiko ShimuraDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-5456-6374

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: To report the efficacy of aflibercept (8 mg) for diabetic macular edema (DME) in vitrectomized eyes refractory to other anti-VEGF drug therapies. Case Presentations: This was a single-center retrospective case series. Three eyes with DME that developed after vitrectomy for diabetic vitreous hemorrhage were resistant to other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs but improved with aflibercept (8 mg). Prior to treatment with aflibercept (8 mg), 2 eyes received multiple injections of faricimab and brolucizumab, and 1 eye received multiple injections of faricimab, but none of the 3 eyes showed morphological or functional improvement. Subsequently, aflibercept (8 mg) was administered, and a single dose of aflibercept resulted in marked improvement in all cases. Conclusion: The efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy for DME in vitrectomized eyes is thought to be lower than that of DME in non-vitrectomized eyes. In this case, brolucizumab, which has a high anti-VEGF molar concentration, and faricimab, which has a low anti-VEGF molar concentration but anti-angiopoietin (Ang)-2 activity, were not effective, but aflibercept (8 mg), whose VEGF molar concentration was intermediate between the two, was effective. This may be due to the fact that aflibercept (8 mg) is a fusion protein rather than an antibody, has lower clearance than a small molecule like brolucizumab, and has a higher anti-VEGF molar concentration than faricimab. It is suggested that aflibercept (8 mg) may be effective for DME in vitrectomized eyes and may merit preferential administration in such cases.

Indexed as

afliberceptanti-VEGFcase seriesdiabetic macular edemavitrectomized

Identifiers

PMID40206271
PMCPMC11980944

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.