Editorial – Suboptimal response to intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment for patients with diabetic macular edema: is there any point in switching treatment?

I. Chatziralli

2nd Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. eirchat@yahoo.gr

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• Ophthalmology

To investigate if there is any point in switching treatment in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) showing suboptimal response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment.

The standard of care for DME is anti-VEGF agents. Although anti-VEGF agents seem to be effective for the treatment of DME, there is a proportion of patients, showing a suboptimal response to anti-VEGF treatment. In such patients, switching treatment to another anti-VEGF agent or to intravitreal dexamethasone implant may provide favorable anatomical and functional results. However, without a control group, it is impossible to compare the effect of switching treatment with the effect of continuing the original administered treatment.

Switching treatment in patients with DME remains challenging. Further studies with a control group are needed to reach a safe conclusion.

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