Abstract:

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in the world. Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) is the standard treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agent in diabetic macular edema has been studied deeply, while it has also been noted that anti-VEGF treatment can induce regression of DR. Recent studies show that anti-VEGF treatment is noninferior to PRP for PDR, however it may not be viable for all patients because of its cost burden in long-term DR management. PRP still plays an important role in management of DR, and patients may get benefits from combination therapy with PRP and anti-VEGF treatment. The algorithm of the combination therapy needs still to be discussed. The development of new agents and new drug delivery systems which can prolong the durability of anti-VEGF treatment may help us to broaden the implementation of anti-VEGF treatment. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2019, 28: 245-248)

Key words: diabetic retinopathy, pan-retinal photocoagulation, anti-VEGF therapy