Comparison of subcutaneous extralesional and intralesional triamcinolone injection for the treatment of chalazion

ABSTRACT

To compare the efficacy of injection of extralesional subcutaneous triamcinolone and intralesional triamcinolone in the treatment of primary chalazion. Randomized controlled trial. Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology [AFIO] Rawalpindi, from 1[st] September 2011 to 31[st] March 2012. Ninety two patients fulfilling the selection criteria were randomly divided into two groups of 46 patients each group A intralesional triamcinolone [IT] patients received a single extralesional subcutaneous triamcinolone injection while group B extralesional triamcinolone [ET] patients received intralesional triamcinolone injection. Main outcome measure was reduction in chalazion size to 2mm or smaller after steroid injection at 4 weeks follow up visit. The size of chalazion was measured at baseline and then at 2 weeks and 4 weeks post steroid injections. Data analysis was done by "statistical package for social sciences [SPSS] version 13.0 for windows. Both the groups were age matched with mean age of 30.46 +/- 10.09 years in group A and 29.13 +/- 6.04 yrs in group B. Among the subjects, there were 64 male and 28 female patients. Out of 92 patients, resolution was seen in 84.8% [39 out of 46 cases] in ET group and 82.6% [38 out of 46 cases] in IT group at 4 weeks follow up that was not statistically significant [p = 0.45]. Injection of extralesional subcutaneous triamcinolone is as effective as intralesional triamcinolone in treatment of chalazion