Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection as primary treatment for diabetic macular edema.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the effectiveness of intravitreal triamcinolone injection on the course of diabetic macular edema.

METHODS:

Forty-eight eyes of 48 diabetic patients were treated with 8 mg of intravitreal triamcinolone injection as the primary therapy for diabetic macular edema. The main outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity, fundus fluorescein angio- graphy, macular edema map values of Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph II (HRT II), and intraocular pressures before and after intravitreal injection.

RESULTS:

The visual acuity increased in 41 of 48 eyes (85.4%) during a mean follow-up time of 7.5 months. The mean baseline best-corrected logMAR (logarithm of minimal angle of resolution) value for visual acuities of the patients before intravitreal triamcinolone injection was 1.17+/-0.20. After treatment, it was 0.85+/-0.29 at 1 month, 0.73+/-0.30 at 3 months, and 0.74+/-0.31 at 6 months, and the differences were significant when compared with baseline values (for each, p<0.001). The mean edema map values significantly decreased by 36% at the 6-month examinations when compared with preinjection values (p<0.001). Average intraocular pressure rose 24.3%, 29.1%, and 11.8% from baseline at the 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up intervals. Intraocular pressure elevation exceeding 21 mmHg was observed in 8 of 48 eyes (16.6%), but was controlled with topical antiglaucomatous medications in all eyes.

CONCLUSIONS:

Intravitreal triamcinolone application provides significant improvement in visual acuity of diabetic patients and clinical course of macular edema, and may therefore be a promising approach in the primary treatment of diabetic macular edema.

• Authors: A Ozkiris, C Evereklioglu, K Erkiliç, N Tamçelik, E Mirza
• Journal: European journal of ophthalmology (Eur J Ophthalmol) 2004 Nov-Dec Vol. 14 Issue 6 Pg. 543-9 ISSN: 1120-6721 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15638105 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Glucocorticoids
• Triamcinolone Acetonide

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Diabetic Retinopathy (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Female
• Fluorescein Angiography
• Glucocorticoids (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Injections
• Intraocular Pressure
• Macular Edema (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Treatment Outcome
• Triamcinolone Acetonide (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Visual Acuity
• Vitreous Body