Influence of prior treatment protocol on intravitreal dexamethasone implant behavior in patients with diabetic macular edema in real-world practice

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEXI) has been placed as an effective option to treat diabetic macular edema (DME). However, there is no consensus on the best time to introduce it. We conducted a study to evaluate anatomical and functional behavior after the first DEXI according to previous treatment.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This retrospective, real-world study between 2013 and 2020 investigated changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT at months 2 and 6 after the first DEXI in DME. Patients were divided into naive, early switch (≤3 anti-VEGF injections), or late switch (>3 anti-VEGF injections) groups.

RESULTS

Among 112 consecutive eyes, mean BCVA and CMT improved significantly in all groups at month 2, with no difference between them. However, this improvement was not maintained at 6 months. The Naíve group presented better BCVA all over the study period. The previously treated groups, which started with worse initial visual acuity, showed more visual gain without reaching the BCVA of the naive group. CMT performance was similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

There was similar anatomical and functional behavior in all groups. Poorer visual acuity at baseline was associated with worse functional outcome despite good anatomic response.

Accurate topographical diagnosis of urinary tract infection in male patients with (111)indium-labelled leukocyte scintigraphy

Background: Although the clinical diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) is straightforward, the precise localization of the urogenital organ affected by the infection is often difficult to establish. Methods: To evaluate this, we prospectively studied 20 males with a clinical diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN), acute prostatitis (AP) and febrile UTI (FUTI), as well as seven control females with APN. (111)Indium-labelled leukocyte scintigraphy (ILS) was performed during the febrile episode and repeated when patients were free of symptoms. Results: ILS showed an abnormal uptake in a urinary organ in every case. All patients with AP showed uptake in the pelvic area. Four male patients presented AP, one of them had uptake in the lumbar area, one in the lumbar and pelvic area, and two in the area of the prostate only. Six out of seven patients with FUTI presented uptake in the pelvic area. All female patients showed kidney uptake. After the clinical resolution of the UTI, no residual uptake was found in any case except for one. Conclusions: These results suggest that ILS is very useful in localizing the affected organ in febrile UTI. Most male patients with a febrile UTI presented a prostatic involvement, suggesting that many cases of APN or FUTI in males may actually be cases of AP not recognized by standard clinical evaluation.

Decreased invasive capacity of quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli in patients with urinary tract infections

Quinolone-resistant (QR) Escherichia coli may have lower invasive capacity than does quinolone-susceptible E. coli. To evaluate this, we prospectively collected data regarding all cases of E. coli invasive urinary tract infections (IUTI) in 669 adults admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit of our hospital during a 3-year period, as well as 10,950 patients with cystitis or asymptomatic bacteriuria who presented to the outpatient clinic during a 1-year period. QR E. coli was isolated in 20% of patients with cystitis, compared with 8% of those with IUTI (P<.05). The proportion of E. coli isolates that were quinolone resistant was similar in patients with bacteremic and nonbacteremic IUTI. The factors of urinary manipulation and structural abnormalities were independently associated with the presence of quinolone resistance. Old age was the only variable independently associated with blood invasion. QR E. coli is less likely to produce invasive disease (pyelonephritis and prostatitis) than is quinolone-susceptible E. coli. However, once pyelonephritis or prostatitis have developed, there is no difference in the incidence of bacteremia.