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. Best-corrected 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.