Intravitreal triamcinolone for acute central retinal vein occlusion; a randomized clinical trial.
BACKGROUND
Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is the most common vascular event in the eye after diabetic retinopathy. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone (IVT) on acute CRVO.


METHODS
In a randomized sham-controlled clinical trial, 27 eyes with recent onset (less than 2 months) CRVO were randomly assigned to two groups. The treatment group (13 eyes) received 4 mg IVT and the control group (14 eyes) received a sham subconjunctival injection. The outcomes were visual acuity (VA), occurrence of neovascularization of the iris (NVI), and central macular thickness (CMT) measured by optical coherence tomography. Examination was repeated 1, 2, 3, and 4 months after intervention.


RESULTS
Mean (standard error) of CMT before, 2 and 4 months after injection was 565 (50), 259 (15), and 290 (53) microns in the treatment group and 629 (43), 470 (62) and 413 (59) microns in the sham group, respectively. The 2- month difference was significant (P=0.003). The difference between VA changes (0.39 logMAR) was significant only at 1 month (P=0.013). There was no meaningful difference in the occurrence of NVI between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The therapeutic effect of IVT on acute CRVO is greatest at months 1 and 2 with regard to VA and macular thickness, respectively, and decreases up to the 4th month.
Ramezani
Alireza
A
Ophthalmic Research Centre, Labbafinejad Medical Centre, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Boostan 9 Avenue, Pasdaran Street, Tehran, 16666, Iran. arramezani@gmail.com
Entezari
Morteza
M
Moradian
Siamak
S
Tabatabaei
Homa
H
Kadkhodaei
Shohreh
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D007498:Iris / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D014822:Vitreous Body
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide