The effect of intravitreal recombinant tissue plasminogen activator injection on diabetic tractional fibrovascular membranes: Proposed criteria using optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) on diabetic tractional fibrovascular membranes (FVM) using proposed optical coherence tomography (OCT) criteria.

Methods: This prospective, interventional case series enrolled eyes with tractional retinal detachment who were candidates for pars plana vitrectomy. OCT images were obtained to evaluate the border of the attached-detached retina and overlying FVP at baseline and 1 week post-intravitreal tPA injection using the follow-up scan acquisition protocol. Two independent graders assessed retinal detachment (RD) height, FVM height, and retinal thickness at the site of membrane attachment.

Results: Thirteen eyes from 13 individuals were included. Assessment of RD height, FVM height, and retinal thickness at membrane attachment point were feasible at both visits in 10/13 (77%), 10/13 (77%), and 8/13 (62%) of eyes, respectively. There was excellent agreement between the two graders for all measurements (all ICC > 0.94). Release of the retina-membrane attachment point was not observed in any eyes. No statistically significant change was found in any of the measured parameters.

Conclusions: Excellent agreement was achieved between the graders for quantitative assessment of diabetic FVM using our proposed OCT criteria. We did not observe a significant change in the FVM measurements, 1-week after intravitreal tPA injection.