AIM:To observe the efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone implant(IDI)in the treatment of intractable macular edema in non-infectious uveitis(NIU).

METHODS: A total of 25 cases(30 eyes)of NIU patients diagnosed in the Department of Ophthalmology, Xinjiang Military District General Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army from April 2018 to June 2020 were selected and all were treated with vitreous cavity injection IDI to observe the best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT), vitreous opacities score and complications before and after treatment.

RESULTS: The BCVA(LogMAR)of the included patients was 0.76±0.37, CMT was 480.03±96.72 μm, and vitreous opacities score was 3.06±0.78 before the first vitreous cavity injection of IDI; After treatment at 1, 3, and 6mo, BCVA was 0.61±0.24, 0.53±0.10, and 0.40±0.13, respectively, which was significantly better than that before treatment(P<0.05), CMT was 324.54±79.88, 245.16±67.87, and 185.52±36.05μm, respectively, which was significantly lower than that before treatment(P<0.05), and vitreous opacity score was 2.31±0.64, 1.37±0.76, and 0.82±0.42, respectively, which was all significantly lower than that before treatment(P<0.05). The mean follow-up was 8.2±2.1mo, with elevated intraocular pressure(IOP)in 6 eyes, which was in the normal range at the last follow-up after IOP-lowering treatment; IDI was repeatedly injected in the vitreous cavity of 3 eyes; No complications such as infectious endophthalmitis occurred in all patients.

CONCLUSION: The vitreous cavity injection of IDI has good safety and effectiveness in treating intractable macular edema secondary to NIU, which can effectively reduce CMT, reduce vitreous inflammation and improve visual acuity.