Effect of Posterior Subtenon Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection on Diabetic Macular Edema Refractory to Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide injection on refractory diabetic macular edema (DME) after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection failure. METHODS: Patients with DME and central subfield thickness (CST) >300 microm who did not respond to IVB injections were retrospectively included. Specifically, we enrolled patients who were diagnosed with refractory DME and who experienced an increase in CST after 1 to 2 IVB injections or no decrease after > or =3 consecutive IVB injections. One clinician injected 20 mg of triamcinolone acetonide into the posterior subtenon space. All patients received ophthalmic examinations at baseline and at 2, 4, and 6 months post-baseline. Examinations included Snellen visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Forty eyes of 34 patients were included. The average baseline CST was 476 microm. The average CST decreased to 368 microm at 2 months, 374 microm at 4 months, and 427 microm at 6 months (p < 0.001 for all results, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The average intraocular pressure increased from 15.50 to 16.92 mmHg at 2 months but decreased to 16.30 mmHg at 4 months and 15.65 mmHg at 6 months. Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity improved from 0.56 to 0.50 at 2 months (p = 0.023), 0.50 at 4 months (p = 0.083), and 0.48 at 6 months (p = 0.133, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). No complications were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior subtenon triamcinolone acetonide is an effective and safe treatment for reducing CST in DME refractory to IVB.

Exposição de fibroblastos de pterígios recidivados e da cápsula de Tenon normal à triancinolona / Exposure of recurrent pterygium and normal Tenon's capsule fibroblasts to triamcinolone

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a taxa de proliferação de fibroblastos provenientes de pterígios recidivados e da cápsula de Tenon normal, quando expostos in vitro à triancinolona. MÉTODOS: Foram realizadas culturas primárias de explantes de pterígios recidivados e da cápsula de Tenon normal do mesmo portador do pterígio. Os fibroblastos foram cultivados e subcultivados até a terceira passagem e posteriormente expostos à triancinolona, com avaliação da taxa de proliferação celular após três, seis, 12 e 18 dias. RESULTADOS: Os fibroblastos expostos à triancinolona apresentaram taxa de proliferação significativamente menor (P<0,05) se comparados aos não expostos quando a avaliação foi feita após três, seis e 12 dias. Na avaliação do 18º dia houve retomada da taxa de proliferação, com significância estatística, somente nos fibroblastos provenientes de pterígios. CONCLUSÃO: Tanto os fibroblastos provenientes da cápsula de Tenon normal, quanto os de pterígios recidivados, apresentaram taxa de proliferação significativamente menor após a exposição à triancinolona. Os fibroblastos de pterígio retomaram a proliferação após 18 dias da exposição. Os resultados apontaram que a triancinolona pode ser útil como adjuvante no tratamento do pterígio.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the proliferation rate of recurrent pterygium and normal Tenon's capsule fibroblasts after exposure to triamcinolone. METHODS: Explants of recurrent pterygia and normal Tenon's capsule of the same carrier were cultured. The fibroblasts were cultured and subcultured until the third passage and subsequently exposed to triamcinolone. The cell proliferation rate was evaluated 3, 6, 12 and 18 days after the exposure. RESULTS: Fibroblasts exposed to triamcinolone had significantly lower proliferation rate (P <0.05) compared to those not exposed, when the evaluation was performed 3, 6 and 12 days later. In the 18th day after exposure, there was a return in the proliferation rate, with statistical significance, only in the pterigyum fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Both the fibroblasts from normal Tenon's capsule as from recurrent pterygia showed significantly lower proliferation rate after exposure to triamcinolone. After 18 days from the exposition, pterygium fibroblasts recovered the proliferation. The results suggested the triamcinolone might be useful as adjuvant in pterygium treatment.