EURETINA 2025: Boris Stanzel, MD, says methotrexate is rocking the European retina landscape

At this year's meeting of the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA), Boris Stanzel, MD, presented results from two recent studies. Prof Stanzel is an attending physician at the Macula Centre, Knappschaft Eye Hospital Sulzbach, and a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Bonn, both in Germany. In a free paper presented on Saturday, 6 September, Prof. Stanzel discussed the use of intravitreal methotrexate in the preventing and treating proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). In the speaker's corner that same day, he discussed new microperimetry findings and visual outcomes following implantation of an extended macular vision IOL for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Intravitreal methotrexate for PVR prophylaxis and treatment: Sulzbach pilot case series experience

"My world, in the moment, is rocked by methotrexate used intravitreally as an adjunct to PVR retinal detachment surgery," Prof Stanzel said. "We are presenting here at EURETINA...the first large European series. We have, right now, 20 patients in our readout who have at least 2 months follow-up to 3 years follow up." The outcomes were very successful, he noted. "Only one patient in this cohort of 22 eyes had a re-detachment, which was recognised at the point of oil removal and was therefore taken care of," Prof Stanzel said. "Methrotextrate is really an agent that makes a difference." The study findings also showed improved outcomes compared to studies in the US, which presented "only modest improvements in vision," he said, but the European studies have an improvement of four lines of vision.

Extended macular vision IOL in macular atrophy: visual and microperimetry outcomes

Prof Stanzel also presented follow-up research findings on hyperaspheric IOL implantation in patients with macular atrophy secondary to AMD. The EyeMax Mono (Sharpview Ophthalmology Ltd.) was implanted in 21 eyes with small areas of geographic atrophy. "This is essentially a follow-up study report from last year. To a large extent, we have maintained the data that we have seen. There is a signficant benefit in patients who have an extrafoveal fixation, whereas the fixation area seems to predict the response in these patients, in terms of visual improvement." Watch the full video to hear Prof Stanzel explain why visual acuity is not necessarily the best marker to guide decisions for patients with geographic atrophy.