Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To evaluate the influence of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide on the visual acuity and macular thickness of patients with diabetic macular edema. Methods: This prospective study comprised 12 eyes of 12 patients with diabetic macular edema that did not respond to laser treatment. Patients received an intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide. Follow–up examinations were at 1 day preoperative, 1 week, 1 month, 3, 6 and 9 months after–surgery. The patients were examined at the slit–lamp, distance visual acuity as well as near visual acuity was assessed, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of the macula were taken. The macular thickness was assessed using OCT. Results: The average age of the patients (±SD) was 66.6 ± 8.6 years. Preoperatively (baseline), 1 month, 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively the mean best corrected visual acuity for distance (in logMAR) was 1.1±0.4, 0.8±0.4 (p=0.008), 0.9±0.5 (p=0.2), 0.9±0.5 (p=0.1), 0.9±0.2 (p=0.2), respectively; the mean best corrected visual acuity for near (in logRAD) was 1.1±0.2, 0.8±0.3 (p=0.0002), 1.0±0.4 (p=0.1), 1.0±0.3 (p=0.4), 0.9±0.2 (p=0.4) respectively; the mean macular thickness was 451±179 (mm), 311±148 (p=0.02), 324±160 (p=0.07), 408±185 (p=0.6), 330±186 (p=0.8), respectively. There were very good correlations between distance visual acuity and retinal thickness(r=0.90) and between near visual acuity and retinal thickness(r=0.93). Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) increased significantly (p=0.02) from 14.7±2.7mmHg pre–operatively to 16.9±3.0mmHg at 1 month follow–up. 3 patients needed topical antiglaucomatous medication. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone may be a therapeutic option in eyes that do not respond to laser coagulation. However, the significant effect of the single intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide only lasts until three months. None
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications • diabetic retinopathy • corticosteroids