Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and onset of action ofintravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in macular edema secondaryto various disorders.Methods: Twenty–two eyes of 18 patients with macular edemasecondary to pseudophakia (12), uveitis (5), diabetic retinopathy(4), and BRVO (1) were given 4 mg of intravitreal triamcinoloneacetonide. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, fovealthickness measured by OCT and fluorescein angiograms were usedto assess the response. Complications and side effects of theprocedure were noted.Results: Sixteen eyes (73%) had two lines or more improvementin visual acuity. Follow up–time was 1 to 6 months (median3 months). The best response was seen in pseudophakic CME (11/12improved) and uveitic CME (4/5 improved). OCT showed significantimprovement in macular thickness as early as 3 days after injectionwith average macular thickness improving from 435+/–22microns to 269+/–22 microns (Fig 1a and Fig 1b). Improvementin the leakage in the fluorescein angiogram was correlated withdecreasing foveal thickness in the OCT. The only complicationseen was a transient moderate increase in the intraocular pressurecontrolled by topical anti–glaucoma medications.Conclusions: Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide improves therefractory macular edema effectively in cases with pseudophakicCME and uveitic CME. Improvement is seen and can be assessedby OCT as early as 3 days after injection. Long term efficacyand safety need to be determined with larger series.
Keywords: macula/fovea • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials