Intravitreal prednisolone sodium succinate reduces diabetic macular edema without intraocular pressure rise.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the six-month results of patients treated with intravitreal prednisolone sodium succinate injections for persistent diabetic macular edema.


METHODS
Retrospective, noncontrolled, clinical case series.


METHODS
Nineteen eyes had intravitreal injections with prednisolone sodium succinate. Need for retreatment was based on fluorescein angiographic or optical coherence tomography evidence of persisting macular edema.


RESULTS
Mean visual acuity at six weeks, three months, and six months after injection was significantly better than the mean preoperative visual acuity (P = .015, P = .004, and P = .031, respectively). In none of the studied eyes intraocular pressure exceeded 22 mm Hg. No other adverse events, such as endophthalmitis or retinal detachment, occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
In this small pilot study, mean visual acuity improvement was statistically significant up to six months postoperatively. Current results suggest that intravitreal injection of the solution of prednisolone sodium succinate may be a safe and good alternative in eyes with macular edema.
La Heij
Ellen C
EC
Eye Research Institute Maastricht, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Maastricht, P. Debyelaan 25, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. ela@soog.azm.nl
Lundqvist
Igor J
IJ
Berendschot
Tos T J M
TT
Hardy
Eugene
E
Liem
Albert T A
AT
Hendrikse
Fred
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011239:Prednisolone; C021322:prednisolone hemisuccinate