The Dexamethasone Intravitreal Implant for Noninfectious Uveitis: Practice Patterns among Uveitis Specialists

Purpose: To describe the practice patterns and perceptions of uveitis specialists regarding the use of the intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant for the treatment of noninfectious uveitis. Methods: We invited uveitis specialists to participate in an anonymous online survey. Results: Among the 45 respondents, 76.5% identified uveitic macular edema as the most common clinical finding for which they use the DEX implant. The most common contraindications to DEX implantation were aphakia and glaucoma requiring >2 medications. Nearly two-thirds (64.3%) felt that the advent of the DEX implant did not change the frequency with which they used the fluocinolone acetonide (FA) implant, and about one-third (32.3%) preferred to use at least one DEX implant, before committing a patient to an FA implant. Conclusions: Uveitis physicians use the DEX implant for a wide range of clinical findings and uveitic diagnoses. There was no clear consensus on preferences regarding the use of DEX versus FA implants.