The Effectiveness of Intravitreal Triamcinolone Injection for the Treatment of Macular Edema

Purpose: To investigate the effect of an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for the treatment of macular edema due to several causes. Methods: One hundred eyes of 98 patients (DM, 58 eyes; branch retinal vein occlusion, 42 eyes) who received an intravitreal injection of 4mg (0.1cc) TA were included in this study. We performed preoperative and 1-, 3- and 6-month postoperative examinations that included stereoscopic biomicroscopy, fluorescein angiography (71 eyes) and optical coherence tomography (85 eyes). Pre- and postoperative visual acuity and IOP were measured. Results: After 1 month, visual improvement by 1 line or more was achieved in 62 eyes (62.0%). Sixty-five eyes (65.0%) and 49 eyes (57.6%) showed improved visual acuity after 3 and 6 months, respectively. Macular thickness decreased by 46.5% after 1 month, by 49.4% after 3 months, and by 50.8% after 6 months. There were no significant differences in visual improvement or thickness reduction between diabetic macular edema and edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion. There was no correlation between improvement of visual acuity and macular edema thickness decrease. Complications included a transient rise in intraocular pressure in 9 eyes and a secondary cataract in one eye. Conclusions: Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide 4 mg (0.1 cc) is an effective, simple and safe treatment for diabetic macular edema and macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.