Treatment of cystoid macular edema in retinitis pigmentosa with intravitreal triamcinolone.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the results of treatment with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection in patients with cystoid macular edema secondary to retinitis pigmentosa.


METHODS
This prospective, nonrandomized comparative trial included 20 eyes of 20 patients with cystoid macular edema secondary to retinitis pigmentosa (group A) and 20 eyes of 20 control individuals (group B) with the same characteristics who declined treatment. All treated eyes received an intravitreal injection of 0.1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide (4 mg). The total follow-up was 12 months. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity, central macular thickness measured by optical coherence tomography, and intraocular pressure.


RESULTS
No statistically significant changes were observed in best-corrected visual acuity. Central macular thickness showed statistical differences between the 2 groups. Intraocular pressure showed a statistically significant increase after the first day, at 1 month, and at 3 months in both groups but no significant increase afterward.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal triamcinolone administration may be useful for select cases of cystoid macular edema in patients with retinitis pigmentosa but its efficacy seems to be limited over time. Therefore, to obtain a good anatomical result and an improvement of best-corrected visual acuity, further treatment would be necessary after 6 months.
Scorolli
Lucia
L
Department of Pathophysiological Optics, University of Bologna, Via Zuccardi Merli 1, 40141 Bologna, Italy. luciascorolli@yahoo.it
Morara
Mariachiara
M
Meduri
Alessandro
A
Reggiani
Letizia Bacchi
LB
Ferreri
Giuseppe
G
Scalinci
Sergio Z
SZ
Meduri
Renato A
RA
D000328:Adult; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000150:complications*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide