Abstract
Purpose: :
To assess ocular hemodynamic changes after injection of intravitreal triamcinolone in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion.
Methods: :
Sixteen eyes of 16 patients (9 male and 7 female; mean age, 65 years) that were injected by 0.1cc 4mg intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema due to occlusion of central retinal vein (n=7), hemiretinal vein (n=2), and branch retinal vein (n=7), as well as their uninjected fellow eyes (n=16) underwent ocular hemodynamic evaluation by color Doppler imaging before and 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months after injection. Sixteen age and sex–matched healthy volunteers were also evaluated.
Results: :
At baseline, intragroup analysis revealed similarity in each hemodynamic parameters (P>0.15) except decreased posterior ciliary arteries systolic flow velocity in eyes with venous occlusion compared to fellow eyes (13.6 ± 1.6 cm/second [mean ± SEM] vs. 16.4 ± 1.1 cm/second, P=0.04). In intergroup analysis, the only difference originated from the posterior ciliary arteries systolic flow velocity among groups (control group value, 14.3 ± 1.4 cm/second, P=0.04). At 1 month, increased systolic flow velocity in the posterior ciliary arteries (P=0.02), as well as decreased diastolic flow velocity (P=0.03) and increased resistive index (P=0.03) in the central retinal artery were found. At no other times, significant blood flow alterations in ophthalmic artery, posterior ciliary arteries or central retinal artery were observed in triamcinolone injected eyes versus their fellow eyes (P>0.05).
Conclusions: :
Four mg intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide treatment temporarily improved central retinal artery blood flow in eyes with retinal venous occlusion.
Keywords: vascular occlusion/vascular occlusive disease • corticosteroids • blood supply