Imaging retinal inflammatory biomarkers after intravitreal steroid and anti‐VEGF treatment in diabetic macular oedema

Purpose To evaluate changes of specific retinal imaging biomarkers [intraretinal hyper‐reflective retinal spots: HRS ; subfoveal neuroretinal detachment: SND; and increased foveal autofluorescence: IFAF after intravitreal steroid or anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in diabetic macular oedema (DME)] as possible indicators of retinal inflammatory condition. Methods Retrospective analysis of images and clinical charts of 49 eyes (49 patients) with DME treated with intravitreal dexamethasone (dexamethasone, 23 eyes) or intravitreal ranibizumab (ranibizumab, 26 eyes). All patients had fundus colour photograph, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and microperimetry recorded before and 1 month after the end of treatment. Central macular thickness (CMT), number of HRS and presence of SND were evaluated by SD OCT. Fundus autofluorescence images were evaluated for area of (IFAF). Retinal sensitivity within 4° and 12° from fovea was quantified by microperimetry. Changes in morphologic and functional parameters were assessed, and correlation was performed by Pearson's correlation. Results Best‐corrected visual acuity and CMT improved in all patients, (p