Corneal Endothelial Change After Intravitreal Triamcinolone Injection

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the corneal endothelial cell changes after intravitreal triamcinolone (4 mg/0.1 ml, Acedolone(R), Kuhnil) injection. METHODS: From October 2006 to January 2007, 20 eyes of 19 patients who received intravitreal triamcinolone injection were enrolled. We analyzed the changes of the corneal endothelial cells prospectively and compared them with 11 phakic eyes (group 1) and 9 pseudophakic eyes (group 2) using specular microscopy. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 65.9+/-8.5 years. The preoperative cell densities were 2534.1+/-303.6 in group 1 and 2105.9+/-328.0 in group 2 (p=0.01, Mann Whitney U test). The preoperative coefficients of variation of cell area were 34.6+/-9.7 in group 1 and 31.6+/-7.5 in group 2 (p>0.05), and the preoperative hexagonalities were 56.4+/-13.8 in group 1 and 66.4+/-20.4 in group 2 (p>0.05). The differences between preoperative and postoperative cell densities, coefficients of the variation of cell area, and hexagonalities were not statistically significant in either group (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no clinically significant change in corneal endothelial cells after intravitreal triamcinolone injection.