Duration of the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the duration of the effect of an intravitreal injection of approximately 20 mg of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization.


METHODS
The prospective, clinical, interventional, case series study included 69 patients (71 eyes) with exudative AMD who showed an increase in visual acuity by at least 2 Snellen lines after an intravitreal injection of approximately 20 mg TA. Mean follow-up was 11.5 +/- 7.4 months (3.3-35.7 months). The main outcome measure was visual acuity.


RESULTS
Within the first week after the injection, visual acuity and IOP started to increase significantly (P < 0.001) by reaching a plateau-like maximum at 1-6 months after the injection. Visual acuity and IOP returned to baseline values 7-9 months after the injection. Increase of IOP was statistically (P = 0.72) independent of the change in visual acuity.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with exudative AMD, who have shown an increase of at least 2 Snellen lines in visual acuity, the effect of intravitreal TA (dosage approximately 20 mg) lasts 7-9 months with respect to an increase in visual acuity and IOP.
Jonas
Jost B
JB
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Clinical Medicine Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, Germany.
Spandau
Ulrich H M
UH
Kamppeter
Bernd A
BA
Degenring
Robert F
RF
Kreissig
Ingrid
I
Akkoyun
Imren
I
Vossmerbaeumer
Urs
U
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000187:drug effects*
D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide