Effect of Intravitreal Triamcinolone on Different Optical Coherence Tomographic Patterns of Diabetic Macular Edema

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the effect of a single intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) of different patterns determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Materials and Methods: In the present study, we retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who had a single IVTA injection for the treatment of DME. Eyes with a clinically significant macular edema and a central foveal thickness (CFT) of 250 microns or more were included. Diabetic retinopathy stage and previous history of laser treatment were not taken into account for patient selection. Bestcorrected visual acuity (BCVA), CFT, and total macular volume values before and after the injection were analyzed. The eyes were divided into 3 groups according to the morphology on OCT: DRT (sponge-like diffuse retinal thickening), CME (cystoid macular edema), and SRD (serous retinal detachment) groups. Results: 104 eyes (50 with DRT, 30 with CME, and 24 with SRD) were included in the study. Post-injection measurements were obtained 9.65±2.27 weeks after the injection. There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups regarding the change in BCVA (p=0.212). The variations in the amount and percentage of change in CFT among the groups was statistically significant (p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). Although the difference between CME and SRD groups was not statistically significant, both groups had significantly greater reductions in CFT compared to the DRT group. Conclusion: DME improved better in CME and SRD groups in response to a single dose of IVTA. However, the visual outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2014; 44: 53-7)

Keywords

• Diabetic macular edema
• intravitreal triamcinolone
• optical coherence tomography