Intraocular triamcinolone acetonide for macular edema due to CRVO. A multifocal-ERG and OCT study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effectiveness of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of cystoid macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). A noncomparative, prospective, interventional case series.


METHODS
In this study 15 eyes of 15 patients (9 males and 6 females) with macular edema due to non-ischemic CRVO were treated with intravitreal injection of 4 mg triamcinolone acetonide and followed-up for 1 year. Examination included measurement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for distance, measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP), fluorescein angiography, foveal retinal thickness measurement by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and multifocal electroretinography recordings (MFERG) preoperatively 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.


RESULTS
The visual acuity increased to a significant degree at 3 months, to a smaller degree at 6 months but at 12 months there was no significant improvement. The OCT macula thickness improved to a significant level all the follow-up period but with less significance at 12 months. The MFERG recordings from the fovea showed significant improvement at 3 and 6 months. The MFERG from the parafovea area showed significant improvement at 3 and 6 and to a smaller degree at 12 months. The intraocular pressure increased at 3 and 6 months but returned to pretreatment level at 12 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide leads to a significant improvement of mean VA in patients with macular edema due to CRVO. However, this significant effect is not permanent and persists for a maximum of 3-6 months. Thereafter all the indexes tend to deteriorate.
Moschos
Marilita M
MM
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. moschosmarilita@yahoo.fr
Brouzas
Dimitrios
D
Loukianou
Eleni
E
Apostolopoulos
Michael
M
Moschos
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide