OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY, FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY, AND DIAGNOSIS OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of different retinal imaging combinations for the diagnosis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: Patients aged 50 years or older referred for suspicious recent-onset CNV related to age-related macular degeneration were prospectively included for 6 months. Data recorded included color fundus photographs (CFPs), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and fluorescein angiography (FA) images. Five retina specialists randomly interpreted SD-OCT combined with CFP, and then FA combined with CFP. The reference diagnosis of CNV was based on the agreement of two readers in the interpretation of the SD-OCT + FA + CFP combination. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight patients (148 eyes) were included. For the diagnosis of CNV, the sensitivity of both SD-OCT + CFP and FA + CFP was of 90.9%. Type 2 CNV was diagnosed in 98% to 100% of cases with SD-OCT + CFP or FA + CFP, whereas Type 1 CNV was diagnosed in 82.9% of cases with SD-OCT + CFP and 81.6% with FA + CFP. CONCLUSION: When used as a first diagnostic test, SD-OCT combined with CFP had sensitivity and specificity similar to those of FA combined with CFP, for the diagnosis of CNV in age-related macular degeneration. This shows the increasingly important role of SD-OCT as a first-line test in the diagnosis of CNV.

Optical coherence tomography features during the evolution of serous retinal detachment in patients with diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To characterize the evolution of serous retinal detachment (SRD) combined with diabetic macular edema (DME) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). DESIGN: Observational retrospective case series. METHODS: In our institution, 64 eyes of 40 diabetic patients who had SRD combined with DME were studied. All patients had fluorescein angiography and several OCT3 examinations during follow-up. Foveolar neuroretinal thickness (NRT) and SRD height were measured. The evolution of OCT macular profiles was qualitatively assessed. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 11.8 months. DME was focal in 10 eyes (15.6%), diffuse in 17 (26.6%) and both diffuse and focal in 37 (57.8%). Mean initial decimal visual acuity (VA), NRT, and SRD height (+/- standard deviation) were 0.35 +/- 0.21, 346.88 +/- 138.61 and 199.48 +/- 139.8 microm, respectively. SRD height did not correlate with VA (P = .23) or NRT (P = .31). In 13 eyes (20.3%), NRT above the SRD was normal. In the 19 eyes where DME improved during follow-up, SRD disappeared before the maximal reduction of retinal thickness in seven eyes (36.8%) and after or simultaneously with this reduction, in 12 eyes (63.2%). Among the 45 eyes where DME worsened during follow-up, SRD disappeared from 15 eyes (33.3%). CONCLUSION: In this series, SRD height did not correlate with retinal thickening. The latter may appear before central neuroretinal thickening and disappear before or after its regression. Consequently, SRD does not seem to be related either to the severity of DME or to its resorption.

Dome-shaped macula in eyes with myopic posterior staphyloma.

PURPOSE: To describe an unusual feature in myopic eyes responsible for visual loss, which we call a dome-shaped macula. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational case series. METHODS: After observing isolated cases of dome-shaped macula, we analyzed optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of 140 highly myopic eyes present in our OCT database to find similar cases. Fifteen eyes of 10 patients had a dome-shaped macula. These patients all had undergone fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and B-scan ultrasonography examinations. RESULTS: The mean refractive error of the affected eyes was -8.25 diopters (D; range, -2 to -15 D). Median visual acuity was 20/50. Recent visual impairment was noted in 11 of the 15 eyes studied, and metamorphopsia was noted in eight eyes. Four eyes were asymptomatic. FA showed atrophic changes in the macular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in all eyes, combined with focal points of leakage in seven of the 15 eyes. The dome-shaped appearance of the macula was visible on both B-scan ultrasonography and OCT: a characteristic bulge of the macular retina, RPE, and choroid within the concavity of the moderate posterior staphyloma was present in all eyes. In 10 eyes, OCT also showed a shallow foveal detachment at the top of the dome-shaped macula. CONCLUSIONS: A dome-shaped macula within a myopic staphyloma is an unreported type of myopic posterior staphyloma. The dome-shaped macula often is associated with RPE atrophic changes and foveal retinal detachment, which may explain the visual impairment in these eyes.

Residual defect in the foveal photoreceptor layer detected by optical coherence tomography in eyes with spontaneously closed macular holes.

PURPOSE: To assess the optical coherence tomography (OCT) characteristics of spontaneously closed macular hole (MH). DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. METHODS: Among 510 consecutive eyes examined for an MH before surgery, we retrospectively identified 14 eyes in which the MH closed spontaneously before the operation. At the time of diagnosis, Snellen visual acuity (VA) was measured and all 14 eyes underwent OCT1 or OCT3. The aperture and base diameters of the MHs were recorded. After spontaneous MH closure, VA was measured again and OCT3 was performed in all eyes. The photoreceptor (PR) inner segment-outer segment (IS-OS) junction line was examined to measure any residual defect at the foveal center. RESULTS: Mean MH aperture diameter was small, less than 400 microm (mean +/- standard deviation [SD], 161.8 +/- 83.0 microm). After spontaneous closure, mean VA increased from 0.3 to 0.6. In all 14 eyes, foveal continuity was restored on OCT scans. However, a defect in the photoreceptor IS-OS junction layer ranging from 25 to 110 microm (mean +/- SD, 64.1 +/- 29.6 microm) was present in all eyes. No correlation was found, either between MH aperture diameter and the width of the PR defect (P = .68) or between VA and the width of the defect (P = .09). CONCLUSIONS: In a series of 14 MHs that had closed spontaneously, a defect was seen in the photoreceptor IS-OS junction line, although VA improved in all eyes. When this configuration is seen in elderly patients without a history of MH, it may be taken as evidence of spontaneous closure of an undiagnosed MH.

Long-term follow-up of high myopic foveoschisis: natural course and surgical outcome.

PURPOSE: To determine the natural evolution and surgical indications of myopic foveoschisis (MF), which are still poorly documented, and the factors that predict poor prognosis. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. METHODS: Twenty-nine operated and nonoperated cases of MF (29 eyes of 23 patients) were studied. All eyes underwent repeated examinations, including optical coherence tomographic (OCT) recordings, during a mean follow-up of 31.2 months. Special attention was paid to the evolution of visual acuity (VA) and to the thickness of foveoschisis. RESULTS: Mean refraction was -14.4 diopters, and mean axial length was 29.1 mm. OCT scans revealed that the foveoschisis was associated with macular anomalies: a premacular structure in 13 (44.8%) of 29 eyes, a foveal detachment in 10 (34.5%) of 29 eyes, and a lamellar macular hole in six (20.7%) of 29 eyes. Isolated foveoschisis was found in four eyes (13.8%). During follow-up, foveoschisis and VA worsened in 20 eyes and remained stable in nine. Ten of the 20 eyes that worsened had a premacular structure. A macular hole occurred in nine eyes, six of which had previously exhibited foveal detachment. Eleven eyes with foveoschisis underwent surgery, which improved VA significantly (P = .04, Wilcoxon test), but three eyes developed a macular hole. CONCLUSIONS: MF may remain stable for many years without affecting VA. However, when it is combined with the presence of a premacular structure, the risk of a decrease in VA increases. When it is combined with foveal detachment, a macular hole seems to develop frequently, whether or not surgery is performed.

Optical coherence tomography in group 2A idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the changes observed with optical coherence tomography in group 2A idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 13 patients (25 eyes). All eyes underwent optical coherence tomography examination consisting of 6 radial scans, fundus color photography, and fluorescein angiography. We calculated retinal foveal and central foveal thicknesses from software mapping results. We compared the optical coherence tomography data with fundus photography and fluorescein angiography findings. RESULTS: Foveal cystoid spaces, very small or more prominent, were present in 20 of 25 eyes. Some degree of disruption of the inner segment/outer segment photoreceptor junction line was observed in 18 eyes as from stage 2 of idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis, and intraretinal pigmentary proliferation was observed in 9. A foveal detachment without subretinal new vessels was also present in 2 eyes. Despite these abnormalities, central foveal thickness was below or within the range of reference values in all eyes; foveal thickness, in 23 of 25. In the more advanced cases, severe disruption of the inner segment/outer segment photoreceptor junction line and outer retinal atrophy were seen. CONCLUSIONS: Early in the evolution of group 2A idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis, the optical coherence tomography examination disclosed intraretinal cystoid spaces without foveal thickening and disruption of the inner segment/outer segment photoreceptor junction line. Foveal thinning was present in later stages.

Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for diffuse diabetic macular edema: phase 2 trial comparing 4 mg vs 2 mg.

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare the efficacy and safety of 4 vs 2 mg intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection for diabetic macular edema. DESIGN: Interventional case series. PATIENTS: Thirty-two patients with diabetic macular edema unresponsive to laser photocoagulation. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly assigned to receive 4 or 2 mg intravitreal TA in one eye (16 patients in each group). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome was central macular thickness (CMT) measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) at four, 12, and 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes were gain in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) scores, intraocular pressure (IOP), cataract progression, and duration of effect. RESULTS: Before injection, mean (+/- SD) CMT was 564.5 +/- 119 microm and 522.9 +/- 148.5 microm in the 4- and 2-mg groups, respectively. At four, 12, and 24 weeks after injection, it was 275.0 +/- 79.8, 271.4 +/- 128.7, and 448.7 +/- 146.4 microm, respectively, in the 4-mg group, and 267.3 +/- 82.4, 289.8 +/- 111.4, and 394.7 +/- 178.9 microm, respectively, in the 2-mg group. At no time was the difference in CMT between both groups statistically significant (P> 0.3). The between-group differences in the gain in the ETDRS score and in IOP were not statistically significant either. Diabetic macular edema recurred after a median period of 20 weeks vs 16 weeks in the 4- and 2-mg groups, respectively (P = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: In the short term, intravitreal injection of 4 or 2 mg TA does not have different effects on CMT, visual acuity, or IOP.

Pharmacodynamics of a new ophthalmic mydriatic insert in healthy volunteers: potential alternative as drug delivery system prior to cataract surgery.

Cataract surgery requires a satisfactory degree of mydriasis throughout the entire operation. A phase I, open-labelled, randomised, cross-over trial was conducted in 18 healthy volunteers to compare mydriasis obtained with subsequent administration of phenylephrine 10% and tropicamide 0.5% eyedrops or a new insoluble-matrix retropalpebral ophthalmic insert containing 5.38 mg phenylephrine and 0.28 mg tropicamide. Phenylephrine serum concentrations were measured over 6 hr following each treatment administration. Secondary end-points included cardiovascular, general and local tolerance and quantification of bacterial colonisation of the conjunctiva and the cultured insert, respectively. When normalized to the pupil diameter after conventional treatment, the diameter achieved with the insert was 1.13 (95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.48, P=0.38). Moreover, standard eye drops provided faster effective mydriasis than the insert, starting 30 min. as compared to 90 min. upon treatment administration (P<0.01, repeated-measures ANOVA). Phenylephrine concentrations remained almost undetectable for both treatments and no change in heart rate or blood pressure were observed throughout the study. Only three superficial punctuate keratitis were diagnosed with the insert and two with the eye drops. No significant bacterial contamination of conjunctiva swab and cultured insert was observed. The new insoluble-matrix retropalpebral ophthalmic mydriatic insert produced similar but delayed effective and prolonged mydriasis as compared to the standard delivery system. In addition to its potential usefulness in patients undergoing cataract surgery, such new ophthalmic delivery system may be an advantage in children who need to undergo fundus photography due to the single administration and excellent tolerance as well.

Optical coherence tomography assessment of the vitreoretinal relationship in diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To study the vitreoretinal relationship in diabetic patients with and without diabetic macular edema (DME) using optical coherence tomography. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. METHODS: setting: Institutional practice. patients: Thirty-five consecutive diabetic patients (49 eyes) with DME and 35 sex- and age-matched diabetic control patients without DME (49 eyes). observation procedure: All patients had Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity measurement and biomicroscopic examination of the vitreoretinal interface. OCT was performed to obtain cross-sectional images of the vitreoretinal interface of the macular region. Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was staged from 0 to 3 as follows: stage 0: absence of PVD; stage 1: perifoveolar PVD with foveolar attachment; stage 2: incomplete PVD with residual attachment to the optic nerve; and stage 3: complete PVD. Retinal thickness was measured using OCT mapping software in all cases. main outcome measures: Prevalence of the different PVD stages in both groups of eyes. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 60 years in both groups. Of the eyes with macular edema, 19 (38.8%) were stage 0, 26 (53.0%) stage 1, 1 (2.0%) was stage 2, and 3 (6.2%) were stage 3. In eyes without DME, the corresponding figures were, respectively, 34 (69.4%), 11 (22.4%), 1 (2.0%), and 3 (6.2%). The prevalence of perifoveolar PVD with foveolar attachment was significantly higher in the group of eyes with DME (P =.006). CONCLUSIONS: These results show the high prevalence of perifoveolar PVD with foveolar attachment in diabetic patients with macular edema. Even though PVD is not the main factor involved in the pathogenesis of DME, perifoveolar PVD may have a role in the development of this complication.

Characterization of macular edema from various etiologies by optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To use optical coherence tomography (OCT) to characterize the intraretinal changes associated with macular edema (ME) according to its etiology. DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: Seventy-eight eyes of 78 patients with ME were examined retrospectively by OCT, using the Humphrey 2000 OCT system (Humphrey Co., San Leandro, California). ME etiologies were diabetic retinopathy (27 cases), central retinal vein occlusion (18 cases), pseudophakia (15 cases), posterior uveitis (10 cases), and retinitis pigmentosa (eight cases). Macular thickness was measured using OCT mapping software. It was correlated with logarithmic visual acuity. RESULTS: In 72 of 78 cases (92%), ME was located in the outer retinal layers. Serous retinal detachment was present in 29 of 78 cases (37%). It was most frequent in central retinal vein occlusion (10 of 18 cases, 56%). There were no significant differences in visual acuity (P = .26) or macular thickness (P = .95) whether or not serous retinal detachment was combined with ME. The posterior hyaloid was partially detached in 17 of 78 cases (22%) of overall cases. Serous retinal detachment did not correlate with partial posterior hyaloid detachment (P = .6). Mean macular thickness ranged from 506 microm in central retinal vein occlusion to 373 microm in retinitis pigmentosa. Visual acuity correlated with macular thickness in diabetic retinopathy (R = 0.55; P = .0027) and pseudophakia cases (R = 0.66; P = .016). CONCLUSIONS: OCT characterized the retinal morphologic changes associated with ME, especially the vitreomacular relationship and sub-clinical serous macular detachment. This detachment did not correlate with poor visual acuity. Macular thickening only correlated with visual loss in diabetic retinopathy and pseudophakia.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of the effect of triamcinolone acetonide on central macular thickness in patients with diabetic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To develop a population model capable of describing the profile of the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of diabetic diffuse macular edema. METHODS: The results of 51 injections in 37 eyes (33 patients) with diffuse diabetic macular edema were studied, by using population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling, without triamcinolone concentration measurements. This approach was supported by the pharmacokinetic hypothesis that the intravitreal triamcinolone concentration decreases in accordance with an exponential biphasic equation. Central macular thickness (CMT), measured by optical coherence tomography was chosen as the pharmacodynamic parameter. RESULTS: The pharmacodynamic profile of the effect of triamcinolone on CMT was characterized by a curve in three phases: a fast decrease, a steady state, and a relapse. The confidence interval of most of the estimated parameters of the model was narrow. The mean estimated half-life of triamcinolone +/- SD was 15.4 +/- 1.9 days, and the mean maximum duration of its effect (+/-SD), 140 +/- 17 days. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling using CMT constitutes a valid alternative to pharmacokinetic studies. This approach worked excellently in the present study, and the results are consistent with those published for the intraocular pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide in the human eye. The authors conclude that this type of investigation is of interest, as it avoids intraocular measurements as far as possible.

Diagnosis of macular pseudoholes and lamellar macular holes by optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for better differential diagnosis of macular pseudoholes (MPH) and lamellar macular holes (LMH). DESIGN: Observational case series. METHODS: setting: Institutional practice. patients: We reviewed the files of 71 eyes of 70 consecutive patients who were diagnosed as having a pseudohole or lamellar hole on OCT examination. All patients referred for suspected pseudohole or lamellar hole on biomicroscopy were evaluated by OCT. main outcome measures: Each eye underwent six radial 3-mm OCT scans centered on the macula, one 6-mm vertical and one 6-mm horizontal scan. Retinal thickness was measured at the foveal center and 750 microm from the center, vertically, and horizontally. The diameter of the macular contour was also measured on vertical and horizontal scans. RESULTS: In 40 cases, OCT showed a macular profile characteristic of MPH: a steepened foveal pit combined with thickened foveal edges and a small foveal pit diameter. Central foveal thickness was normal or slightly increased (167 +/- 42 microm). Mean perifoveal thickness was greater than normal (363 +/- 65 microm). In 29 other cases corresponding to LMH, OCT showed a profile characterized by a thin irregular foveal floor, split foveal edges, and near-normal perifoveal retinal thickness. Central foveolar thickness was thinner than normal (72 +/- 19 microm). Mean perifoveal thickness was near normal (283 +/- 36). Optical coherence tomography did not allow the classification of the remaining two cases. CONCLUSIONS: Optical coherence tomography is very useful in distinguishing MPH attributable to epiretinal membrane contraction from LMH because of partial opening of a macular cyst.

Macular retinoschisis in highly myopic eyes.

PURPOSE: To describe the characteristics and evolution of macular retinoschisis in high myopia observed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). DESIGN: A consecutive, retrospective, observational case series. METHODS: Twenty-one highly myopic eyes (mean refractive error, -15.2, range -6 to -25) of 17 patients presenting with the unusual feature of macular thickening without a macular hole and associated with a posterior staphyloma were examined by biomicroscopy and OCT. Ten patients (13 eyes) were followed up for 12 months or more. RESULTS: On biomicroscopy, the macula of all 21 eyes had a microcystic appearance without macular hole. In all eyes, OCT showed that retinal thickening was mainly due to an extensive hyporeflective space splitting the neuroretina into a thick inner layer and a thin outer layer. We called this condition outer retinoschisis. In six cases, inner splitting, termed inner retinoschisis, was also present. The macular profile exhibited a foveal cyst in 10 eyes, a lamellar hole in six, and a foveal detachment in six. In four of the 21 eyes, a hyperreflective preretinal structure resembling the posterior hyaloid was stretched over the retinoschisis, causing foveal traction. Two of these four eyes subsequently evolved into a full-thickness macular hole. CONCLUSION: Macular retinoschisis is not uncommon in highly myopic eyes with staphyloma and is better characterized by OCT than by biomicroscopy. Intraretinal splitting occurs in both the outer and inner layers of the retina, leading to the formation of cystoid spaces. In most cases, the condition is fairly stable in terms of visual acuity and retinal thickness and change occurs slowly over time. However, a macular hole may occur when the retinoschisis is associated with tangential traction of the posterior hyaloid.

Optical coherence tomography for evaluating diabetic macular edema before and after vitrectomy.

PURPOSE: To report the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for evaluation of diffuse diabetic macular edema (DME) before and after vitrectomy. DESIGN: Interventional case series. METHODS: A retrospective study was made of 15 consecutive eyes of 13 patients that had vitrectomy for diffuse DME and OCT preoperatively and postoperatively. In seven eyes of six patients (group 1), vitrectomy was performed because of vitreomacular traction observed on biomicroscopy or OCT. In the other eight eyes of seven patients (group 2), vitrectomy was performed for DME not responsive to laser photocoagulation, with no vitreomacular traction on biomicroscopy or OCT. RESULTS: Mean +/- standard deviation (SD) follow-up after vitrectomy was 18 +/- 10 months (range, 6 to 33 months). In group 1, mean +/- SD retinal thickness decreased significantly from 661 +/- 181 microm preoperatively to 210 +/- 32 microm at the end of follow-up (P =.018). Median best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 20/100 before surgery (range, 20/250 to 20/50) to 20/80 at the end of follow-up (range, 20/250 to 20/25; P =.046). In one eye in group 1, vitreomacular traction was only observed on OCT and not on biomicroscopy. In group 2, mean +/- SD retinal thickness decreased from 522 +/- 103 microm preoperatively to 428 +/- 121 microm at the end of follow-up (P =.2). Median BCVA was 20/100 before vitrectomy (range, 20/320 to 20/63) and 20/200 at the end of follow-up (range, 20/250 to 20/63; P =.78). CONCLUSIONS: Vitrectomy was beneficial in eyes with diffuse DME combined with vitreomacular traction but not in eyes without traction. Optical coherence tomography allowed diagnosis of subtle vitreomacular traction and provided precise preoperative and postoperative assessments of macular thickness.

Intravitreal triamcinolone for refractory pseudophakic macular edema.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone in refractory pseudophakic cystoid macular edema. DESIGN: A prospective, interventional case series. METHODS: Three eyes of three patients with longstanding pseudophakic cystoid macular edema following uncomplicated cataract surgery, refractory to any medication, were treated with 8 mg of intravitreal triamcinolone. All three eyes were evaluated before injection and throughout follow-up with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study's visual acuity chart, fluorescein angiography, and macular mapping using optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: A month after intravitreal triamcinolone injection, a dramatic decrease in macular thickness was noted by optical coherence tomography in all three eyes (from a mean of 502-233 microm). Mean improvement in visual acuity was 3.7 Snellen lines. Two to 4 months after triamcinolone injection, however, the edema recurred in all cases, to the same degree as before the injection, combined with a decrease in vision. Two eyes underwent a second injection of triamcinolone, and macular thickness decreased, but the edema again recurred 3 months after injection. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone induces striking regression, within 1 month, of chronic refractory macular edema. This regression appears to be transient, however, even after a second injection.

Full-thickness macular hole in a patient with diabetic cystoid macular oedema treated by intravitreal triamcinolone injections.

PURPOSE: Full-thickness macular hole associated with diabetic macular oedema is a rare feature and its pathogenesis remains incompletely elucidated. We report the occurrence of a full-thickness macular hole, documented with optical coherence tomography (OCT), in a patient with diabetic cystoid macular oedema treated by intravitreal triamcinolone injections. CASE REPORT: A 48-year-old woman with refractory diabetic cystoid macular oedema underwent successive intravitreal triamcinolone injections, which were followed by a progressive thinning of the neurosensory retina at the fovea, and then by a full-thickness macular hole, associated with a perifoveal posterior hyaloid detachment, visible on OCT. During pars plana vitrectomy, a thin epiretinal macular membrane was diagnosed and removed. DISCUSSION: Pathogenesis of the present full-thickness macular hole associated with diabetic macular oedema is different from that of idiopathic macular holes because anteroposterior vitreous tractions were not involved in its formation. Recurrent intravitreal triamcinolone injections may have had an indirect role in the development of the macular hole, by favouring the rupture of distended Muller cells and intraretinal pseudocysts.

Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for diffuse diabetic macular oedema: 6-month results of a prospective controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate prospectively the efficacy and safety of one intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide for refractory diffuse diabetic macular edema. METHODS: Seventeen patients with bilateral diabetic macular edema unresponsive to laser photocoagulation. In all patients, one eye was injected, and the other served as a control. The intervention consisted in intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide. The main outcome measure was central macular thickness (CMT) at 4, 12 and 24 weeks, measured by Optical Coherence Tomography. Secondary outcomes were Early Treatment Diabetic Rentinopathy Study (ETDRS) scores, intraocular pressure and cataract PROGRESSION. RESULTS: Before injection, mean +/- SD CMT was 566.4 +/- 182.4 mum in injected eyes. Four, 12, and 24 weeks after injection, it was 228.4 +/- 47.5 mum, 210.9 +/- 87.2 mum and 358.5 +/- 160.5 mum respectively. CMT was significantly lower in injected eyes vs. control eyes except 24 weeks after injection because of a recurrence of macular edema in 9/17 injected eyes. Mean +/- SD gain in ETDRS score was significantly better in injected eyes vs. control eyes 4, 12 and 24 weeks after TA injection. In 9 of the 17 injected eyes, intraocular pressure exceeded 24 mmHg and was controlled by topical medication. CONCLUSION: In the short-term, intravitreal injection of triamcinolone effectively reduces macular thickening due to diffuse diabetic macular edema and improves visual acuity in most cases. The long-term effect of this treatment and predictive factors of visual recovery remain to be elucidated.

Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for diabetic diffuse macular edema: preliminary results of a prospective controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively the efficacy and safety of 1 intravitreal injection of 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide for refractory diffuse diabetic macular edema. DESIGN: Interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen patients with bilateral diabetic macular edema unresponsive to laser photocoagulation. In all patients, one eye received the injection, and the other served as a control. INTERVENTION: Intravitreal injection of 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide under subconjunctival anesthesia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was central macular thickness (CMT) at 1, 3, and 6 months, measured by optical coherence tomography. Secondary outcomes were Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) scores, intraocular pressure, and cataract progression. RESULTS: In this preliminary report, we give the results for 12 patients who had a follow-up of at least 3 months. Seven of them were followed up for 6 months. Before injection, CMT was 509.6+/-143.5 microm (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]) in injected eyes, versus 474.4+/-82.6 microm in control eyes. Four weeks after injection, it was 207.3+/-44.2 microm in injected eyes and 506.7+/-122.4 microm in control eyes (P<0.001, bilateral Wilcoxon test for paired samples), and after 12 weeks, 207+/-96.7 microm and 469.3+/-117.6 microm, respectively (P = 0.005). The difference between the CMTs of injected and control eyes was no longer significant at 24 weeks because of the recurrence of macular edema in 5 of 12 injected eyes. Before triamcinolone injection, the ETDRS score was 47.8+/-13 (mean +/- SD; range, 28-66) in injected eyes, versus 51.9+/-14.6 (range, 31-71) in control eyes. Twelve weeks thereafter, the corresponding values were 52.7+/-10.8 (range, 34-70) and 50.8+/-14.3 (range, 29-69), respectively, and at 24 weeks, 54.7+/-7.6 (range, 47-68) and 50.6+/-18.4 (range, 28-71). At no time was the difference between the ETDRS scores for injected and control eyes significant. In 6 of the 12 injected eyes, intraocular pressure exceeded 25 mmHg, and was controlled by topical medication. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone effectively reduces macular thickening due to diffuse diabetic macular edema, at least in the short term. Further studies are required to demonstrate that it provides visual benefit.