Intravitreal dexamethasone implant concomitant to cataract surgery in retinitis pigmentosa: potential retinal preservation effect

Purpose: To evaluate the potential maintenance of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) by optical coherence tomography (OCT) of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients, treated with intravitreal dexamethasone implant at the same time of cataract surgery. Design: In this retrospective cohort study, sixty-two eyes of patients with RP and cataract were enrolled and sorted in two groups. Methods: The first group (“Ozucat" group) included 26 eyes of patients who underwent cataract surgery combined to dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex, DEX implant). The second (“cataract alone” group) included 38 eyes who underwent only cataract surgery. Main Outcomes Measure: We evaluated best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in ETDRS letters and EZ length with retinal structural assessment (OCT). Results: In the Ozucat group, the increase in EZ length from baseline was statistically significant both at 6-months (p<0.0001) and 12-months (p<0.0001) compared to “cataract alone” group. However, no statistical difference in BCVA was highlighted between the two groups. Conclusion: Our study showed that eyes with typical RP, presenting cataract and concomitant signs of retinal inflammation, treated by combined cataract surgery and intravitreal dexamethasone implant, exhibited a maintenance of the EZ integrity, suggesting a potential retinal preservation effect of steroids.