Exudative age-related macular degeneration treated by intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. A prospective comparative nonrandomized study.
OBJECTIVE
To report on visual outcome of patients receiving an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide as treatment of progressive exudative age-related macular degeneration.


METHODS
The prospective comparative nonrandomized clinical interventional study included 187 consecutive patients with progressive exudative age-related macular degeneration, divided into a study group of 115 patients receiving an intravitreal injection of 25 mg triamcinolone acetonide, and a control group of 72 patients without treatment. The mean follow-up was 6.0+/-4.2 months.


RESULTS
Visual acuity increased significantly (P=0.03) in the study group, and decreased significantly (P=0.01) in the control group, at 1 month and 3 months after start of the study. Between the study group and control group, the differences in change of visual acuity were significant (P=0.001). In the study group, the number of patients with an increase in visual acuity of 2 or more Snellen lines was significantly (P=0.001) larger than in the control group. Correspondingly, the number of patients with a decrease of 2 or more Snellen lines was significantly (P=0.007) smaller in the study group. In all, 43 (37.4%) patients of the study group experienced an increase in best visual acuity by 2 or more Snellen lines.


CONCLUSIONS
Visual acuity increased in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration at 1 month and 3 months after an intravitreal injection of 25 mg triamcinolone acetonide.
Jonas
J B
JB
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine, Mannheim of the University, Heidelberg, Germany. Jost.Jonas@ma.augen.uni-heidelberg.de
Degenring
R F
RF
Kreissig
I
I
Friedemann
T
T
Akkoyun
I
I
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D014822:Vitreous Body
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide