Structural and functional measures of efficacy in response to bevacizumab monotherapy in diabetic macular oedema: exploratory analyses of the BOLT study (report 4)

BACKGROUND: To describe structural and functional changes associated with diabetic macular oedema (DMO) treated with intravitreal bevacizumab over 24 months.

METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of the data of 34 patients that completed 24 months follow-up in the intravitreal bevacizumab arm of a prospective, randomized controlled trial (BOLT study) was performed. The outcome measures previously used in clinical trials of intravitreal ranibizumab in DMO were employed to describe the visual acuity and macular thickness changes at 12 and 24 months.

RESULTS: The standard outcomes of mean change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) in participants treated with bevacizumab were comparable to those reported in association with ranibizumab. However, exploratory analyses showed that thick maculae at baseline defined as CMT of ≥ 400 µm, remained significantly thicker than those <400 µm with intensive bevacizumab therapy, despite a comparable gain in visual acuity at both 12 and 24 months. The proportion of subjects that attained a dry macula doubled in both CMT groups between the 12 and 24-month time-points.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide valuable information both for clinical practice and trials. Further studies are required to investigate the impact of intravitreal bevacizumab on retinal thickness profiles in DMO.