Comparison of natural course, intravitreal triamcinolone and macular laser photocoagulation for treatment of mild diabetic macular edema.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the natural course of the mild diabetic macular edema(DME) and to compare the visual outcomes with the patients with receiving either macular laser photocoagulation or intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide(IVTA).


METHODS
28 eyes with central macular thickness (CMT) of between 250 to 300µm were followed without treatment and 48 eyes with CMT between 300 to 500µm had been divided into 3 subgroups according to treatment. We evaluated the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and CMT of natural course group and compared the BCVA and CMT of the patients who had been treated with IVTA or macular laser treatment.


RESULTS
The eyes with DME between 250 to 300µm showed no significant change in BCVA and CMT at 6 month. Among the eyes with DME between 300 to 500µm, all 3 subgroups showed no statistically significant change of BCVA at any follow up period and no significant difference was revealed among the subgroups. All subgroups showed significant reduction of CMT after 1 month and maintained until final follow-up and there was no significant difference among subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
Mild DME between 250 to 500µm did not show significant worsening of BCVA or macular edema without any specific treatment.
Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea.
Soon Il
SI
Kwon
Sung Uk
SU
Baek
In Won
IW
Park
D000368:Aged; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008028:Light Coagulation; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014221:Triamcinolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014221:Triamcinolone
Diabetic Macular Edema; Intravitreal triamcinolone; Macular laser photocoagulation.