Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42493417›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open ophthalmology2026

Comparative efficacy of different treatment modalities in the management of macular oedema in retinitis pigmentosa: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Hsi-An Yang, Wun-Long Jheng, Yih-Shiou Hwang, Wei-Chi Wu, Chi-Chun Lai, Hung-Da Chou, Eugene Yu-Chuan Kang, Laura Liu, An-Ning Chao, Yen-Ting Chen and 2 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-AnalysisComparative Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open ophthalmology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Hsi-An YangDepartment of Education, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Wun-Long JhengCancer Center, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.
Yih-Shiou HwangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2744-3234
Wei-Chi WuDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3760-7255
Chi-Chun LaiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Hung-Da ChouDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1561-3059
Eugene Yu-Chuan KangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6814-6530
Laura LiuDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
An-Ning ChaoDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Yen-Ting ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Kuan-Jen ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Yi-Hsing ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan yihsing@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2682-939X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare the efficacy of current treatments for retinitis pigmentosa (RP)-associated macular oedema using network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Electronic databases were searched for studies reporting changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT). A frequentist NMA was performed and treatment hierarchies were estimated using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.

results12 studies were included to compare the following: oral acetazolamide 500 mg/day, oral methazolamide 50-100 mg/day, topical dorzolamide 2% three times daily, topical ketorolac 0.5% four times daily, intravenous umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs; single administration of 3×10⁶ cells), intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEXi) 0.7 mg, intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) 4 mg, sub-Tenon TA (STTA) 20 mg, intravitreal bevacizumab 1.25 mg and intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg. Regarding changes in BCVA at 3-4 months, oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) showed greater BCVA improvement compared with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies; however, no intervention demonstrated statistically significant superiority in BCVA at 12 months. At 3-4 months, DEXi, acetazolamide, methazolamide and dorzolamide demonstrated comparable CMT reduction and outperformed anti-VEGF therapies, IVTA, STTA, intravenous UCMSC and control. By 12 months, dorzolamide (vs acetazolamide: -169.50 µm (95% CI -331.83 to -7.17) and vs methazolamide: -185.49 µm (95% CI -354.35 to -16.63)) and DEXi (vs acetazolamide: -147.00 µm (95% CI -206.58 to -87.42) and vs methazolamide: -162.99 µm (95% CI -238.56 to -87.42)) provided significantly greater CMT reduction than acetazolamide and methazolamide.

conclusionsCAIs and DEXi demonstrated the greatest long-term anatomical benefit for RP-associated macular oedema, whereas durable BCVA gains remained limited across available therapies. While oral and topical CAIs showed comparable short-term efficacy, topical dorzolamide and DEXi provided greater long-term CMT reduction than oral CAIs. Given the limited number of studies and small sample sizes, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and validated in larger randomised controlled trials.

Indexed as

Macular EdemaRetinitis PigmentosaCarbonic Anhydrase InhibitorsGlucocorticoidsHumansIntravitreal InjectionsSulfonamidesThiophenesTreatment OutcomeVisual AcuityCarbonic Anhydrase InhibitorsdorzolamideGlucocorticoidsSulfonamidesThiophenesDrugsDystrophyTreatment MedicalVision

Identifiers

PMID42493417
PMCPMC13405046

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.