Inter-eye difference in diabetic macular edema after unilateral intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide

Purpose

To report on visual outcome of patients receiving intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for treatment of diffuse diabetic macular edema.

Design

Prospective, comparative clinical interventional study.

Methods

setting: Institutional. patient population: The study included 25 consecutive patients (50 eyes) with bilateral diabetic macular edema. intervention procedure: Unilateral intravitreal injection of about 20 mg triamcinolone acetonide into the eye (study group) more severely affected by diabetic maculopathy. The contralateral eyes served as control group. Mean follow-up was 7.1 ± 4.1 months. main outcome measure: Visual acuity, intraocular pressure.

Results

In the study group, visual acuity increased significantly (P ≤ .001) by 3.0 ± 2.6 Snellen lines to a peak at two to six months after the injection, and decreased significantly (P = .001) towards the end of follow up. At the end of follow-up, visual acuity was higher, not significantly (P = .18) higher, than at baseline. An increase in visual acuity was found in 23 eyes (92%). In the control group, differences between visual acuity at baseline and at any of the re-examinations during follow-up were not significant (P > .10). In an intra-individual inter-eye comparison, gain in visual acuity was significantly (P < .05) higher in the injected eyes, for the measurements obtained up to four months after injection.

Conclusions

Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide may temporarily increase visual acuity in eyes with diabetic macular edema.