Comparing the Effect of Intravitreal Bevacizumab in Diabetic Macular Edema with and without Epimacular Membranes

Purpose: To compare the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab injection on central macular thickness in patients with clinically significant macular edema (CSME) with and without epiretinal membrane (ERM).Methods: In a prospective interventional comparative study, intravitreal bevacizumab injections were performed in patients with CSME and ERM. The anatomical and visual outcomes were compared in patients with and without ERM.Results: Fifty patients were included. There was no statistically significant reduction in central macular thickness (CMT) in the ERM group ( = 22 microns, P =0.07). CMT significantly decreased in the patients who did not have ERM ( = 57 microns, P =0.02). Patients with ERM had 0.09 Log MAR improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, P =0.001) in contrast to no significant change in BCVA of patients who did not have ERM (P =0.37).Conclusion: Intravitreal bevacizumab improved BCVA in patients who had CSME and ERM. However, in patients who had CSME without ERM, the reduction in CMT was not associated with any significant improvement in BCVA