Intravitreal triamcinolone for diffuse diabetic macular edema

Abstract

Purpose: To report the effect of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone for diffuse diabetic macular edema. Cases and Method: This study included 19 phakic eyes of 17 patients of diabetic macular edema. The series comprised 11 males and 6 females. Their ages ranged from 49 to 73 years, average 63 years. Each eye received intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide. The eyes were evaluated as to visual acuity, foveal thickness and macular edema as measured by an optical coherence tomography (OCT). Results: The visual acuity, expressed as logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), improved by 0.2 from the pretreatment level in 7 out of 19 eyes (37%) 4 weeks and in 10 out of 13 eyes (77%) 8 weeks after treatment. The foveal thickness averaged 413.6 μm before treatment, 301.2 μm 4 weeks and 324.4 μm 8 weeks after treatment. The macular volume averaged 10.69 mm 3 before treatment, 8.88 mm 3 4 weeks and 8.76 mm 3 8 weeks after treatment. Temporary elevation of intraocular pressure occurred in one eye. Conclusion: Intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide was safe and effective for diabetic macular edema.