Cystoid Macular Edema

Cystoid Macular Edema, commonly called CME, is frequently responsible for varying degrees of central vision loss.  CME is not a specific disease, but rather it is a clinical feature occurring in a number of conditions.  Patients with Cystoid Macular Edema frequently have a medical history, which includes diabetes, circulation problems, or may follow injury or eye surgery.

What are the symptoms of CME?

The most common symptom of CME is blurred or reduced central vision and painless retinal inflammation or swelling.  If you experience one of these symptoms contact your Eye Centers of Florida doctor for a comprehensive eye exam. It is very difficult to detect CME during a routine examination.  Most often the diagnosis is based on the patient’s symptoms and the use of a special dye test called a fluorescein angiogram and a painless high tech scan of the macula called an OCT. CME rarely causes a permanent loss of vision, but the recovery may be a slow and gradual process.

Treatment

• Anti-inflammatory medications, including steroid drops, pills or injections near the back of the eye
• Laser surgery to seal leaky blood vessels
• A surgical procedure called a vitrectomy to remove the vitreous, which may be causing the swelling