AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of intravitreal injection of Ranibizumab combined with laser for diabetic macular edema(DME).

METHODS: Totally 60 cases(60 eyes)of DME patients treated in ophthalmology department of our hospital from June 2014 to June 2016 were selected and divided into the observation group and the control group. The control group were treated with laser therapy, and the observation group received intravitreal injection of ranibizumab on the basis of the treatment of the control group. Comparison between two groups on the best corrected visual acuity before operation and at 1wk, 1, 3, 6mo after operation was taken. The non-contact tonometer was used to measure intraocular pressure before and after treatment. The optical coherence tomography(OCT)was conducted to assess preoperative and postoperative central macular thickness(CMT).The postoperative complications of two groups were recorded subsequently.

RESULTS: The two groups' postoperative visual acuity was significantly improved, data of the observation group at 1, 3mo after operation was sharply higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance(P<0.05), and data at 1wk, 6mo after operation had no evident difference(P>0.05). After 1wk of treatment, the two groups' intraocular pressure increased, with statistical significance(P<0.05); there was no significant difference between the two groups on intraocular pressure before treatment and at 1, 3, 6mo after treatment(P>0.05). The postoperative CMT of two groups significantly decreased, data of the observation group at 1, 3mo after treatment was evidently lower than that of the control group, there was statistical significance(P<0.05), and data before treatment, at 1wk, 6mo after treatment showed no significant difference(P>0.05). In the observation group, 5 cases(5 eyes)recurred within 6mo, the recurrence rate was 17%. In the control group, 10 cases(10 eyes)relapsed, the recurrence rate was 33%, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). At postoperatively 2d, 2 cases(2 eyes)of the observation group and 3 cases(3 eyes)of the control group had high intraocular pressure, and then returned to normal by given the carteolol eye drops.

CONCLUSION: Compared with laser therapy alone, intravitreal injection of ranibizumab combined with laser therapy has a significant and safe short-term treatment effective for DME patients with a fast visual acuity recovery.