Prospective optical coherence tomographic evaluation of the efficacy of oral and posterior subtenon corticosteroids in patients with intermediate uveitis.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To prospectively evaluate the efficacy of oral corticosteroids and posterior subtenon injection in the treatment of macular edema in patients with intermediate uveitis using optical coherence tomography (OCT).

METHODS:

Twenty-two patients with intermediate uveitis were treated with posterior subtenon injection when the disease was unilateral (group A, n=11) or with oral steroids when the disease was bilateral (group B, n=11). Changes in macular thickness from baseline was determined using OCT in both groups at day 0, day 3, day 14, 6 weeks and 12 weeks.

RESULTS:

Statistically significant improvement in Snellen visual acuity in group A was seen at 6 weeks and in group B at 2 weeks. In patients receiving oral corticosteroids, foveal thickness decreased by 63% by day 3. In those treated with posterior subtenon injection, even at day 14 only a 55% reduction of foveal thickness was evident. Spearman's correlation coefficient for visual acuity and foveal thickness was found to be significant.

CONCLUSION:

OCT confirms a significantly more rapid decrease in macular edema in patients treated with oral corticosteroids. A short course of oral steroids may be useful in enabling earlier visual recovery in patients treated with posterior subtenon injection for unilateral uveitic macular edema.

• Authors: Pradeep Venkatesh, Zaheer Abhas, Satpal Garg, Rajpal Vohra
• Journal: Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie (Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol) Vol. 245 Issue 1 Pg. 59-67 (Jan 2007) ISSN: 0721-832X [Print] Germany
• PMID: 16896918 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Glucocorticoids
• Betamethasone
• Prednisolone
• Triamcinolone Acetonide

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Administration, Topical
• Adult
• Betamethasone (administration & dosage)
• Connective Tissue
• Drug Administration Routes
• Female
• Glucocorticoids (administration & dosage)
• Humans
• Injections
• Macular Edema (diagnosis, drug therapy, etiology)
• Male
• Prednisolone (administration & dosage)
• Prospective Studies
• Tomography, Optical Coherence
• Treatment Outcome
• Triamcinolone Acetonide (administration & dosage)
• Uveitis, Intermediate (complications, diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Visual Acuity (drug effects)