Disorganization of the Retinal Inner Layers as a Predictor of Visual Acuity in Eyes With Center-Involved Diabetic Macular Edema

Abstract

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a sight-threatening manifestation of diabetic retinopathy, affecting almost 30% of individuals with more than 20 years of diabetes mellitus.¹ Standard treatment for DME involves repetitive, invasive intraocular injections, which place heavy burdens on the patient, physician, and health care reimbursement. No reliable methods exist to determine which individuals with DME will gain or lose vision over time, making such predictive biomarkers a major unmet need.² These tools would substantively enhance patient counseling, improve risk stratification, advance clinical management, and influence selection of eyes for clinical studies targeting DME.