[Survey of triamcinolone acetonide for ocular diseases in Japan].
OBJECTIVE
To survey the use of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for ocular disease in Japan.


METHODS
A questionnaire was sent to 1,236 teaching hospitals approved by the Japanese Ophthalmological Society requesting information regarding indications, methods, efficacy and complications of TA administered from January through December 2005. The survey specifically covered the use of TA in intravitreal injections, sub-Tenon's injections and intraoperatively during vitrectomy procedures.


RESULTS
Four-hundred and fifty-nine hospitals responded to the survey (response rate 36.9%) involving TA use in 44,827 eyes. Intravitreal injections of TA were administered to 5,665 eyes in 159 hospitals. The average dose was 6.53 mg for a single injection and was reported to have highest efficacy in eyes with diabetic macular edema, followed by retinal vein occlusion. Complications included cataract formation in 116 eyes (2.04%), glaucoma requiring filtration surgery in 32 eyes (0.56%), endophthalmitis in 7 eyes (0.12%), and blepharoptosis in 8 eyes (0.14%). Sub-Tenon's injections of TA were administered to 12,343 eyes in 308 hospitals. The average dose was 19.87 mg for a single injection and had the highest efficacy in eyes with diabetic macular edema, followed by retinal vein occlusion. Sub-Tenon's administration of TA was also frequently used for uveitis. Complications reported were cataract formation in 191 eyes (1.55%), glaucoma requiring filtration surgery in 33 eyes (0.26%), endophthalmitis in 1 eye (0.008%), periocular infection in 5 eyes (0.04%) and blepharoptosis in 43 eyes (0.35%). TA was used as an adjunct to vitrectomy in 26,819 eyes in 270 hospitals and was judged to be most useful in the separation of posterior hyaloid from the retina. Complications included cataract formation in 49 eyes (0.18%), glaucoma requiring filtration surgery in 32 eyes (0.56%), and endophthalmitis in 7 eyes (0.026%).


CONCLUSIONS
TA is being widely administered for ocular diseases in Japan, and appears to have good efficacy in a variety of indications. Several complications related to TA use were reported, however the rates of complications were low.
Sakamoto
Taiji
T
Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University, Japan. tsakamot@m3.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Hida
Tetsuo
T
Tano
Yasuo
Y
Negi
Akira
A
Takeuchi
Shinobu
S
Ishibashi
Tatsuro
T
Inoue
Yoshitsugu
Y
Ohguro
Nobuyuki
N
Okada
Annabelle Ayame
AA
D003625:Data Collection; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide