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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Dec 17.
Published in final edited form as: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Oct 16;10:CD005430. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005430.pub3

Table 1. Clinical outcomes reported in the included studies.

Outcomes Blair 2011 Carmichael 1990 SCUT 2012 Srinivasan 2009
Visual acuity Effect measure Mean change in log-MAR visual acuity from baseline, measured by ETDRS chart Mean BCVA from Snellen chart and then converted to a numerical equivalent number; linear regression model Mean difference in logMAR BCVA between groups from multiple linear regression model, using a protocol adapted from AREDS using a tumbling “E” chart Mean logMAR BCVA adapted from AREDS using a tumbling “E” chart; mean difference in logMAR BCVA between groups from multiple linear regression model
Time point(s) measured 10 weeks 2 months 3 weeks, 3 months, 12 months 3 weeks and 3 months
Estimate

  • Steroid group: -0.31 (SD or 95% CI not reported)

  • Control group: -0.18 (SD or 95% CI not reported)

  1. Mean BCVA: Steroid group: mean pretreatment vision: 6; mean post-treatment vision: 9.7

    Non-steroid group: mean pre-treatment vision: 6.4; mean post-treatment vision: 9.2

  2. Linear regression model: linear regression showed no difference between groups

  • 3 weeks: steroid group had 0.024 better logMAR BCVA (95% CI -0.092 to 0.044)

  • 3 months: steroid group had 0.009 better logMAR BCVA (95% CI -0.085 to 0.068)

  • 12 months: steroid group had 0.04 better logMAR BCVA (95% CI -0.12 to 0.05)

  1. Mean (SD) log-MAR BCVA:

    3 weeks: steroid group: 0.66 (0.68); placebo group: 0.75 (0.75)

    3 months: steroid group: 0.71 (0.72); placebo group: 0.59 (0.75)

  2. Multiple linear regression model:

    3 weeks: steroid group had 0.19 lower (better) logMAR BCVA (95% CI -0.52 to 0.15)

    months: steroid group had 0.09 lower (better) logMAR BCVA (95% CI -0.41 to 0.24)
Interpretation No statistically significant difference between groups was found No statistically significant difference between groups was found No statistically significant difference between groups was found No statistically significant difference between groups was found
Healing rate/ulcer size /time to re-epithelialization Effect measure Mean change in ulcer area from baseline (mm2), measured by photographic measurement and by clinician estimate (slit lamp) Mean size of ulcer (mm2) healed per day, measured at the slit lamp Mean difference in diameter of ulcer area from linear regression models, measured by a Haag-Streit 900 slit lamp biomicroscope; median time to re-epithelialization (days) Mean difference in diameter of ulcer area from linear regression models, measured by a Haag-Streit 900 slit lamp biomicroscope
Time point(s) measured 10 weeks 21 days 3 weeks, 3 months, 12 months 3 weeks and 3 months
Estimate

  • Photographic measurement:

  • Steroid group: -4.388 mm2

  • Control group: -1.919 mm2 (SD or 95% CI not reported)

  • Clinician estimate (slit lamp):

  • Steroid group: -4.206 mm2

  • Control group: -0.789 mm2 (SD or 95% CI not reported)

  • Steroid group: 0.36 mm2 per day

  • Control group: 0.30 mm2 per day

  • Ulcer size:

  • 3 weeks: steroid group had 0.05 mm smaller diameter of scar area (95% CI - 0.09 to 0.15)

  • 3 months: steroid group had 0.06 mm smaller diameter of scar area (95% CI - 0.07 to 0.17)

  • 12 months: steroid group had 0.03 mm smaller diameter of scar area (95% CI - 0.12 to 0.18)

  • Time to re-epithelialization:

  • Steroid group: 7.5 days (95% CI 5.5 to 8.5 days)

  • Placebo group: 7 days (95% CI 5.5 to 8.5 days)

  • Ulcer size:

  • 3 weeks: steroid group had 0.57 mm smaller diameter of scar area (95% CI 1.5 to 0.37)

  • 3 months: steroid group had 0.33 mm smaller diameter of scar area (95% CI 1.4 to 0.75)

  • Time to re-epithelialization:

  • steroid group: 8.6 days (SD 4.7)

  • placebo group: 6.3 days (SD 3.1)
Interpretation No statistically significant difference between groups from photographic measurement; statistically significant difference between groups from clinician estimate No statistically significant difference between groups was found No statistically significant difference between groups was found No statistically significant difference between groups was found

AREDS: Age Related Eye Disease Study

BCVA: best corrected visual acuity

CI: confidence interval

ETDRS: Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study

SD: standard deviation