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ObjectiveWe investigated the efficacy of additional topical betamethasone in persistent cystoid macular oedema (CMO) after carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) therapy.Methods and analysisThis retrospective cohort study included 16 eyes of 10 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). All patients were previously administered CAI for at least 3 months to treat CMO secondary to RP and lacking an effective reduction (≥11%) of central foveal thickness (CFT). We administered topical 0.1% betamethasone daily in each affected eye following a preceding course of the CAI medication as a first treatment. CMO was diagnosed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. CFT was regarded as the average of vertical and horizontal foveal thickness. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were obtained from patient medical records. We compared the CFT and BCVA between baseline and the average of 1–3, 5–7, 10–14 and 16–20 months period.ResultsIn treatments with brinzolamide in 14 eyes, dorzolamide in 2 eyes and bromfenac in 2 eyes, CFT effectively decreased in 12 of 16 eyes (81%). CFT decreased significantly in 1–3 months (326±102 µm; n=16; P=0.029) and 5–7 months (297±102 µm; n=12; P=0.022) compared with baseline but not within 10–14 months (271±96 µm; n=9; P=0.485) or 16–20 months (281±134 µm; n=9; P=0.289). There were no significant intergroup differences in BCVA throughout the study. Betamethasone treatment was stopped in three patients because of IOP elevation.ConclusionOur data suggested that additional betamethasone might improve treatments for persistent CMO. Topical steroids could be an alternative option for managing persistent CMO in RP.