Prednisolone versus dexamethasone for prevention of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema.

OBJECTIVE

Prevention of cystoid macular edema (CME) is important to achieve good surgical outcomes after cataract surgery. Although many options for management exist, control of postoperative inflammation with topical steroids is one of the most commonly employed. We evaluated the difference in incidence of pseudophakic CME in patients treated with prednisolone or dexamethasone topical steroids.

METHODS

The study was a retrospective chart review of patients who had undergone phacoemulsification at the Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. Reviewable patient charts had to indicate the topical steroid used and whether or not an additional medication (e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]) was used after surgery. Excluded were patients who underwent combination procedures (e.g., trabeculectomy), perioperative anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or intraocular steroid, eyes with epiretinal membrane or prior retinal vein occlusion, those who developed postoperative endophthalmitis, patients with less than 3 months of follow-up, and patients who received topical NSAIDs. Pseudophakic CME was defined as new or worsening macular edema on optical coherence tomography within the first 3 months after cataract extraction.

RESULTS

In total, 1135 patient charts were included in the analysis; 721 patients were treated with prednisolone acetate, and 414 were treated with dexamethasone. Patient characteristics were similar between the 2 treatment groups. No significant difference was found in the rate of postoperative CME for patients receiving prednisolone or dexamethasone (4.0% vs 4.1%, p = 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant difference in the rate of pseudophakic CME when either prednisolone acetate or dexamethasone sodium phosphate was used after cataract surgery.