Cataract progression after intravitreal triamcinolone injection.
OBJECTIVE
To assess cataract progression after intravitreal triamcinolone injection.


METHODS
Retrospective, interventional, case-control study.


METHODS
Forty-two phakic eyes of 37 patients were injected one, two, or three times with intravitreal triamcinolone for various indications. Noninjected phakic fellow eyes served as the control. The mean follow-up time for single injection was 12 months, for multiple injections was 14 months, and for control group was 13 months. Lens status, best-corrected visual acuity, and refractive errors were recorded at baseline and at each follow-up examination.


RESULTS
At the last follow-up, changes in posterior subcapsular cataract and refractive error from baseline were significantly different between single triamcinolone-injected eyes and the control group [0.7 +/- 0.2 (mean +/- SEM [arbitrary unit] vs 0.2 +/- 0.1, P = .02; and -0.5 +/- 0.1 diopter vs -0.2 +/- 0.1 diopter, P = .01, respectively). For multiple-injected eyes and control eyes, change from baseline in corticonuclear cataract (1.1 +/- 0.2 vs 0.2 +/- 0.1), posterior subcapsular cataract (1.1 +/- 0.2) and refractive error (-1.8 +/- 0.4 diopters) were significantly different (P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). Visual acuity did not change after single injection (P = .83) and in control group (P = .19) but decreased after multiple injections (P = .006). Eleven study eyes and two control group eyes underwent cataract extraction during study period. Corticonuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract progression significantly correlated with follow-up time (P = .003 and P = .02, respectively) and number of injections (P = .01 and P = .04, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Single intravitreal triamcinolone injection induces posterior subcapsular cataract development, whereas multiple injections result in all-layer cataract progression.
Cekiç
Osman
O
Department of Ophthalmology, College of Surgeons and Physicians of Columbia University, Harkness Eye Institute, 635 West 165th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. oc2106@columbia.edu
Chang
Stanley
S
Tseng
Joseph J
JJ
Akar
Yusuf
Y
Barile
Gaetano R
GR
Schiff
William M
WM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide