Triamcinolone acetonide with laser photocoagulation for macular edema caused by retinal vein occlusion

AIM:To evaluate the effect of intravitreous injection of triamcinolone acetonide(TA)for macular edema caused by retinal vein occlusion. METHODS:Thirty-five patients(35 eyes)with macular edema caused by retinal vein occlusion, diagnosed by ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography(OCT), and fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA), were intravitreously injected with 2mg TA, then grid pattern laser photocoagulation was conducted after macular edema was relieved for 1-4wk. The visual acuity, intraocular pressure(IOP), lenses, the retinal thickness, and vascular leakage were observed during the 6mo follow-up period. RESULTS:In central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO)group, 10 eyes were nonischemic,14 eyes were ischemic; in branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO)group, the number was 4 and 7 eyes respectively. The final vision acuity improved in 19 eyes, remained unchanged in 11 eyes, decreased in 5 eyes. Nine eyes showed normal macular thickness after injection of TA by OCT, and the changes on FFA was disappeared or significantly improved; cystoid macular edema was impoved in 21 eyes and the changes on FFA showed that the fluorescein leakage was improved compared with that before treatment; the situation did not chang in 5 eyes, and the FFA showed that the leakage became even worse or unchanged. CONCLUSION:Intravitreous injection of 2mg TA with laser photocoagulation can be used to treat macular edema caused by retinal vein occlusion effectively, relieve the macular edema and improve the visual acuity.