Visual acuity; assessment of efficacy and safety of different doses of intravitreal triamcinolone

ABSTRACT

To compare efficacy of different doses of intravitreal triamcinolone on the best corrected visual acuity and assess the safety of the drug. The study was carried out at Al-Shifa Trust Eye hospital Rawalpindi, and Rawalpindi General Hospital Rawalpindi. 99 eyes of 99 patients with clinically significant macular edema were randomized to treatment with 2mg, 4mg, 6mg and 8mg of intravitreal triamcinolone.19 patients were lost in the follow up. Follow up of the patients was scheduled for twenty four weeks to assess the changes in the best corrected visual acuity and the side effects of the drug such as rise in intra ocular pressure between the four groups. There was a significant improvement of best corrected visual acuity in all the four groups. The mean BCVA improvement in the 8mg was higher than the 2mg group with an improvement of 2 lines and 1 line respectively. [P=0.04]. the rise in the intra ocular pressure [>21 mg] occurred in 5%, 5%, 5% 40% in the 2mg, 4mg, 6mg and the 8mg respectively. The higher doses of intravitreal triamcinolone may increase and prolong the visual benefits in cases of clinically significant macular oedema but the rise in intra ocular pressure remains an area of concern. More studies are required to assess the optimum dose of intravitreal triamcinolone