Table 1.

Structural neuroretinal analysis, measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), using microspheres loaded with dexamethasone (MsDex) over 6 months.

OCT parameters	Baseline		2 w			4 w			6 w			8 w			12 w			18 w			24 w
	Mean ± SD	p	Mean ± SD	%Ch	p	Mean ± SD	%Ch	p	Mean ± SD	%Ch	p	Mean ± SD	%Ch	p	Mean ± SD	%Ch	p	Mean ± SD	%Ch	P	Mean ± SD	%Ch	p
Retinal thickness
Central	288.90 ± 16.32	0.373	267.00 ± 26.90	−7.58	0.431	275.33 ± 18.49	−4.69	0.580	255.33 ± 19.18	−11.61	0.058	260.40 ± 19.61	−9.87	0.190	292.50 ± 17.74	1.25	0.461	262.00 ± 14.56	−9.31	0.780	260.60 ± 24.05	−9.80	0.774
	295.20 ± 14.45		276.50 ± 9.02	−6.33		282.50 ± 24.45	−4.30		276.00 ± 13.82	−6.50		276.50 ± 18.06	−6.76		285.60 ± 9.99	−3.25		259.80 ± 8.75	−11.99		263.83 ± 11.08	−10.63
Inner inferior	267.90 ± 8.71	0.668	257.33 ± 17.31	−3.94	0.254	262.33 ± 6.59	−2.07	0.443	250.33 ± 6.25	−6.55	0.316	255.60 ± 4.61	−4.59	0.575	259.83 ± 7.62	−3.01	0.709	255.20 ± 13.18	−4.74	0.804	249.80 ± 17.65	−6.76	0.980
	266.30 ± 7.64		267.00 ± 9.12	0.26		259.67 ± 4.84	−2.48		254.17 ± 6.33	−4.55		253.83 ± 5.30	−4.91		262.20 ± 12.59	−1.54		258.60 ± 26.50	−2.89		250.00 ± 6.63	−6.12
Outer inferior	254.80 ± 6.59	0.955	244.50 ± 6.71	−4.04	0.269	244.50 ± 2.07	−4.04	0.561	240.17 ± 2.63	−5.74	0.254	240.20 ± 6.30	−5.73	0.856	244.00 ± 5.96	−4.24	0.543	239.20 ± 6.26	−6.12	0.875	241.40 ± 20.37	−5.26	0.596
	254.60 ± 8.82		248.50 ± 5.01	−2.39		245.67 ± 4.27	−3.50		242.33 ± 3.50	−4.81		241.00 ± 7.64	−5.64		247.40 ± 11.52	−2.83		238.00 ± 15.28	−6.52		236.50 ± 7.63	−7.11
Inner superior	261.20 ± 7.81	0.897	245.50 ± 10.69	−6.01	0.209	242.00 ± 6.00	−7.35	0.039	238.83 ± 4.53	−8.56	0.005#	240.80 ± 8.46	−7.81	0.278	260.50 ± 14.30	−0.27	0.588	243.40 ± 7.19	−6.81	0.932	241.20 ± 12.55	−7.66	0.812
	261.60 ± 5.56		255.50 ± 14.78	−2.33		254.00 ± 10.84	−2.90		248.33 ± 4.63	−5.07		246.67 ± 8.33	−6.05		256.00 ± 11.76	−2.14		243.80 ± 7.19	−6.80		243.17 ± 13.84	−7.05
Outer superior	260.00 ± 7.24	0.941	247.83 ± 8.03	−4.68	0.311	242.50 ± 2.73	−6.73	0.072	243.17 ± 4.66	−6.47	0.098	246.60 ± 5.94	−5.15	0.696	258.17 ± 7.78	−0.70	0.634	242.20 ± 7.53	−6.85	0.940	252.20 ± 12.35	−3.00	0.249
	259.70 ± 10.39		252.83 ± 8.18	−2.64		248.83 ± 7.22	−4.18		247.33 ± 3.07	−4.76		248.33 ± 7.89	−4.58		256.00 ± 6.55	−1.42		242.60 ± 8.79	−6.58		243.67 ± 10.63	−6.17
Inner nasal	263.10 ± 7.63	0.810	250.00 ± 9.57	−4.97	0.139	250.33 ± 6.37	−4.85	0.010#	244.17 ± 6.52	−7.19	0.035	247.40 ± 7.47	−5.97	0.751	257.67 ± 10.13	−2.06	0.646	247.00 ± 7.96	−6.12	0.192	251.80 ± 7.49	−4.29	0.748
	264.00 ± 8.81		258.67 ± 9.11	−2.01		261.50 ± 5.82	−0.94		253.50 ± 6.74	−39.727		249.17 ± 9.90	−5.95		261.80 ± 18.29	−0.83		254.80 ± 9.28	−3.48		250.67 ± 3.55	−5.05
Outer nasal	258.70 ± 7.11	0.659	246.83 ± 4.62	−4.58	0.715	244.33 ± 2.87	−5.55	0.536	239.33 ± 7.17	−7.48	0.294	244.00 ± 5.24	−5.68	0.882	250.17 ± 6.43	−3.30	0.938	241.20 ± 8.22	−6.76	0.973	248.75 ± 2.63	−3.85	0.083
	257.20 ± 7.81		248.00 ± 6.03	−3.57		245.83 ± 4.95	−4.42		242.83 ± 2.92	−5.58		244.50 ± 5.54	−5.19		250.60 ± 11.45	−2.57		241.40 ± 9.94	−6.14		241.00 ± 7.40	−6.30
Inner temporal	261.60 ± 7.80	0.432	252.83 ± 9.90	−3.35	0.444	248.50 ± 8.01	−5.00	0.807	244.17 ± 5.19	−6.66	0.723	240.60 ± 6.84	−8.03	0.466	255.50 ± 11.45	−2.33	0.409	252.20 ± 11.32	−3.59	0.455	246.40 ± 11.03	−5.81	0.681
	258.80 ± 7.77		257.17 ± 8.88	−62		249.67 ± 8.06	−3.52		245.00 ± 2.09	−5.33		243.83 ± 7.13	−6.14		250.40 ± 7.02	−3.25		247.00 ± 9.56	−4.56		243.83 ± 9.04	−5.78
Outer temporal	255.70 ± 7.36	0.761	243.83 ± 6.55	−4.64	0.046	243.50 ± 3.27	−4.77	0.021	241.50 ± 5.82	−5.55	0.052	245.40 ± 8.41	−4.03	0.874	250.67 ± 8.71	−1.97	0.830	242.60 ± 9.18	−5.12	0.836	248.60 ± 6.50	−2.78	0.135
	256.70 ± 7.10		252.00 ± 5.86	−1.83		248.33 ± 2.80	−3.26		247.33 ± 2.87	−3.65		246.17 ± 7.19	−4.28		251.60 ± 3.84	−1.99		243.80 ± 8.52	−5.03		241.83 ± 7.02	−5.79
Total volume	1.85 ± 0.04	0.852	1.76 ± 0.06	−4.90	0.127	1.76 ± 0.35	−4.90	0.194	1.72 ± 0.02	−7.23	0.017#	1.74 ± 0.05	−6.03	0.549	1.82 ± 0.05	−1.67	0.892	1.74 ± 0.05	−6.14	0.999	1.71 ± 0.13	−7.76	0.696
	1.86 ± 0.04		1.81 ± 0.03	−2.41		1.79 ± 0.43	−3.40		1.76 ± 0.02	−5.10		1.76 ± 0.05	−5.38		1.82 ± 0.06	−2.15		1.74 ± 0.06	−6.34		1.73 ± 0.04	−6.72
RNFL thickness
GLOBAL	49.10 ± 5.34	0.963	43.00 ± 3.52	−12.42	0.059	40.17 ± 3.06	−18.18	0.122	39.50 ± 3.20	−19.55	0.411	40.40 ± 1.14	−17.72	0.368	40.33 ± 3.67	−17.86	0.640	39.60 ± 4.33	−19.35	0.575	33.40 ± 8.47	−31.98	0.097
	49.00 ± 3.94		49.67 ± 6.80	1.36		44.33 ± 5.20	−9.53		41.00 ± 2.82	−16.32		41.17 ± 1.47	−19.02		41.60 ± 5.03	−15.10		38.40 ± 1.51	−21.63		41.83 ± 6.64	−14.63
Inferior temporal	51.30 ± 6.53	0.758	44.50 ± 8.26	−13.25	0.678	35.17 ± 6.82	−31.44	0.042	32.67 ± 9.35	−36.31	0.200	44.40 ± 6.42	−13.45	0.214	42.67 ± 10.15	−16.82	0.912	45.60 ± 27.68	−11.11	0.559	37.80 ± 9.75	−26.32	0.094
	52.30 ± 7.68		46.50 ± 7.91	−11.08		42.83 ± 4.26	−18.10		38.17 ± 2.99	−27.01		39.83 ± 4.91	−31.31		43.40 ± 11.14	−17.02		38.00 ± 3.39	−27.34		51.33 ± 13.42	−1.85
Inferior nasal	51.70 ± 4.83	0.513	43.67 ± 6.86	−15.53	0.073	41.67 ± 2.58	−19.40	0.026	42.67 ± 8.26	−17.46	0.664	45.80 ± 5.35	−11.41	0.568	50.50 ± 8.96	−2.32	0.633	36.40 ± 6.02	−29.59	0.506	43.00 ± 11.42	−16.83	0.476
	49.30 ± 10.29		55.33 ± 12.53	12.23		47.67 ± 5.00	−3.30		40.67 ± 7.20	−17.50		43.17 ± 8.61	−14.20		47.40 ± 11.88	−3.85		39.80 ± 9.09	−19.27		49.33 ± 15.87	0.06
Superior temporal	51.90 ± 6.72	0.849	43.83 ± 12.28	−15.54	0.166	51.33 ± 11.74	−1.09	0.624	41.50 ± 11.52	−20.03	0.207	41.20 ± 3.76	−20.62	0.388	40.00 ± 13.19	−22.93	0.859	42.60 ± 6.46	−17.92	0.491	30.40 ± 18.91	−41.43	0.486
	52.60 ± 9.30		55.17 ± 13.93	4.88		48.33 ± 8.54	−8.11		49.17 ± 7.78	−6.52		46.00 ± 11.24	−14.35		41.40 ± 12.03	−21.29		45.20 ± 4.81	−14.07		38.83 ± 19.38	−26.18
Superior nasal	40.30 ± 12.07	0.725	41.67 ± 8.95	3.39	0.732	34.00 ± 3.74	−15.63	0.075	37.67 ± 5.20	−6.52	0.949	32.80 ± 6.14	−18.61	0.401	33.60 ± 9.65	−16.63	0.765	36.20 ± 3.11	−10.17	0.270	25.40 ± 7.47	−36.97	0.052
	42.20 ± 11.67		43.17 ± 5.34	2.29		40.17 ± 6.61	−4.81		37.83 ± 3.43	−10.35		36.67 ± 8.01	−15.08		35.20 ± 6.38	−16.59		34.00 ± 2.73	−19.43		33.83 ± 4.99	−19.83
Nasal	48.20 ± 10.62	0.142	40.83 ± 4.11	−15.29	0.359	40.50 ± 2.88	−15.97	0.948	39.50 ± 3.56	−18.04	0.156	41.40 ± 6.65	−14.11	0.611	40.67 ± 3.77	−15.62	0.398	37.00 ± 6.28	−23.24	0.475	32.20 ± 10.28	−33.20	0.194
	42.50 ± 5.01		43.67 ± 5.92	27.576		40.33 ± 5.35	−5.10		36.50 ± 3.20	−14.11		39.50 ± 5.32	−7.59		36.80 ± 9.93	−13.41		34.60 ± 3.43	−18.59		39.67 ± 7.36	−6.66
TEMPORAL	51.40 ± 11.66	0.413	44.00 ± 3.74	−14.39	0.037	38.67 ± 5.61	−24.76	0.032	41.17 ± 10.96	−19.90	0.498	39.00 ± 2.55	−24.12	0.043	40.33 ± 4.32	−21.54	0.162	40.40 ± 4.77	−21.40	0.999	32.80 ± 11.03	−36.19	0.125
	55.30 ± 8.97		54.33 ± 9.85	−1.75		47.83 ± 7.05	−13.50		44.67 ± 5.31	−19.22		42.83 ± 2.78	−29.12		46.60 ± 8.96	−15.73		40.40 ± 3.13	−26.94		41.17 ± 4.75	−25.55
GCL THICKNESS
CENTRAL	22.00 ± 2.70	0.827	20.67 ± 4.27	−6.04	0.999	18.67 ± 3.14	−15.13	0.139	18.17 ± 2.78	−17.40	0.225	18.00 ± 2.73	−18.18	0.415	21.00 ± 2.82	−4.55	0.067	18.60 ± 2.51	−15.45	0.819	17.40 ± 2.40	−20.91	0.291
	21.70 ± 3.30		20.67 ± 1.86	−4.74		21.00 ± 1.67	−3.22		20.33 ± 3.01	−6.31		19.50 ± 3.01	−11.28		17.60 ± 2.51	−18.89		19.00 ± 2.82	−12.44		18.83 ± 1.83	−13.23
INNER INFERIOR	27.10 ± 2.13	0.671	26.67 ± 3.67	−1.58	0.497	26.83 ± 2.04	−0.99	0.726	24.83 ± 1.32	−8.37	0.172	25.40 ± 1.14	−6.27	0.737	25.50 ± 1.64	−5.90	0.749	25.60 ± 3.36	−5.54	0.738	22.80 ± 2.38	−15.87	0.022
	27.50 ± 2.01		27.83 ± 1.72	1.2		27.17 ± .98	−1.2		26.00 ± 1.41	−5.45		25.67 ± 1.36	−7.13		25.80 ± 1.30	−6.18		26.20 ± 1.92	−4.73		25.83 ± 1.16	−6.07
OUTER INFERIOR	26.10 ± 1.79	0.819	25.33 ± 1.03	−2.95	0.260	25.00 ± 1.54	−4.21	0.172	23.50 ± 2.34	−9.96	0.091	23.40 ± 2.60	−10.34	0.967	24.50 ± 1.87	−6.13	0.531	23.00 ± 3.53	−11.88	0.324	21.40 ± 3.43	−18.01	0.135
	26.30 ± 2.05		26.00 ± 0.8	−1.14		26.17 ± 1.16	−0.49		25.33 ± 0.51	−3.68		23.33 ± 2.58	−12.73		25.20 ± 1.64	−4.18		24.80 ± 1.48	−5.70		23.83 ± 1.16	−9.39
INNER SUPERIOR	25.70 ± 2.83	0.682	23.00 ± 2.75	−10.50	0.165	22.67 ± 2.80	−11.78	0.169	19.50 ± 2.16	−24.12	0.012	21.20 ± 2.38	−17.51	0.035	23.00 ± 1.78	−10.51	0.999	21.20 ± 4.65	−17.51	0.945	18.20 ± 0.83	−29.18	0.653
	26.10 ± 1.10		25.17 ± 2.22	−3.56		24.67 ± 1.75	−5.47		23.33 ± 2.16	−10.61		23.67 ± 0.51	−10.27		23.00 ± 3.74	−11.88		21.00 ± 4.30	−19.54		18.83 ± 2.92	−27.85
OUTER SUPERIOR	24.70 ± 2.79	0.710	24.50 ± 2.074	−0.80	0.892	23.83 ± 1.47	−3.52	0.064	24.17 ± 2.71	−2.14	0.528	24.60 ± 2.19	−0.40	0.464	24.00 ± 3.79	−2.83	0.615	25.00 ± 2.55	1.21	0.636	19.40 ± 2.60	−21.46	0.104
	25.10 ± 1.85		24.67 ± 2.06	−1.711		25.83 ± 1.83	2.90		25.00 ± 1.54	−0.39		25.33 ± 0.81	0.91		22.60 ± 5.12	−9.96		24.20 ± 2.58	−3.59		22.33 ± 2.73	−11.04
INNER Nasal	25.60 ± 2.31	0.916	23.00 ± 4.19	−10.15	0.215	23.50 ± 2.34	−8.20	0.260	21.50 ± 3.93	−16.01	0.401	22.80 ± 1.30	−10.94	0.728	21.67 ± 3.26	−15.35	0.498	22.80 ± 2.28	−10.94	0.551	19.00 ± 1.41	−25.78	0.293
	25.70 ± 1.82		25.33 ± 1.03	−1.43		25.33 ± 2.94	−1.43		23.33 ± 3.26	−9.22		23.17 ± 1.94	−10.92		23.00 ± 2.91	−10.51		21.80 ± 2.77	−15.18		20.17 ± 1.94	−21.52
Outer Nasal	26.10 ± 1.66	0.558	25.17 ± 1.47	−3.56	0.169	25.50 ± 1.37	−2.29	0.679	23.17 ± 2.48	−11.22	0.178	24.40 ± 1.34	−6.51	0.596	22.50 ± 3.01	−13.79	0.559	23.00 ± 2.44	−11.88	0.550	19.75 ± 1.25	−24.33	0.337
	25.60 ± 2.06		24.17 ± 0.7	−5.58		25.17 ± 1.32	−1.67		24.83 ± 1.32	−3.00		23.83 ± 1.94	−7.43		23.60 ± 2.96	−7.81		23.80 ± 1.48	−7.03		21.00 ± 2.19	−17.97
Inner temporal	26.30 ± 2.26	0.777	24.00 ± 2.96	−8.74	0.432	23.33 ± 1.86	−11.29	0.056	22.00 ± 2.28	−16.34	0.401	22.40 ± 2.60	−14.83	0.527	22.33 ± 0.81	−15.10	0.409	23.20 ± 2.77	−11.79	0.497	21.40 ± 2.30	−18.63	0.599
	26.00 ± 2.40		25.17 ± 1.83	−3.19		25.83 ± 2.13	−0.65		23.33 ± 2.94	−10.26		23.50 ± 2.88	−10.64		21.20 ± 3.11	−18.46		24.20 ± 1.48	−6.92		20.67 ± 2.16	−20.50
Outer temporal	26.30 ± 2.21	0.610	25.33 ± 2.42	−3.68	0.144	24.67 ± 1.63	−6.19	0.112	24.50 ± 2.07	−6.84	0.746	24.60 ± 1.14	−6.46	0.956	24.00 ± 2.28	−8.75	0.808	25.00 ± 2.73	−4.94	0.897	21.00 ± 3.53	−20.15	0.455
	26.80 ± 2.09		27.17 ± 1.47	1.38		26.17 ± 1.32	−2.35		24.00 ± 3.03	−10.44		24.67 ± 2.42	−8.63		23.40 ± 5.36	−12.69		24.80 ± 1.92	−7.46		22.17 ± 0.98	−17.28
Total volume	0.18 ± 0.01	0.999	0.17 ± 0.01	−4.61	0.347	0.17 ± 0.00	−5.55	0.207	0.16 ± 0.01	−11.11	0.201	0.16 ± 0.01	−10.00	0.259	0.16 ± 0.01	−8.33	0.736	0.16 ± 0.01	−8.89	0.820	0.13 ± 0.01	−23.33	0.057
	0.18 ± 0.00		0.17 ± 0.00	−0.94		0.17 ± 0.00	−1.83		0.17 ± 0.00	−5.55		0.17 ± 0.01	−5.88		0.16 ± 0.01	−10.00		0.16 ± 0.01	−7.78		0.15 ± 0.01	−14.83

MsDex: microspheres loaded with dexamethasone; RNFL: retina nerve fibre layer; GCL: ganglion cell layer; thickness in microns (µm); mean ± SD (SD: standard deviation); p < 0.05 statistical significance; p < 0.020# statistical significance with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Cells coloured in grey when right eye (upper cell) showed thinner sectors and/or higher percentage loss compared to left eye (lower cell).