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Br J Ophthalmol 2006;90:1137-1141 doi:10.1136/bjo.2006.093211
  • Clinical science
    • Extended reports

Decreasing efficacy of repeated intravitreal triamcinolone injections in diabetic macular oedema

  1. C K M Chan1,2,
  2. S Mohamed1,2,
  3. M P Shanmugam1,2,
  4. C-W Tsang1,2,
  5. T Y Y Lai1,2,
  6. D S C Lam1,2
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  2. 2Hong Kong Eye Hospital, 147K Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong
  1. Correspondence to: Professor Dennis S C Lam Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, University Eye Center, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, 147K, Argyle Street, Hong Kong; dennislam_pub{at}cuhk.edu.hk
  • Accepted 1 May 2006
  • Published Online First 17 May 2006

Abstract

Background/aim: Intravitreal triamcinolone (IVTA) results in transient improvements in diabetic macular oedema (DMO), necessitating repeated injections. The authors report a case series of 10 eyes of 10 patients with DMO, who received a repeat injection of 4 mg IVTA, at least 26 weeks after the first injection of the same dose.

Method: Pre-injection and at 2, 4, 9, and 17 weeks post-injection, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) on optical coherence tomography, after the first and repeat injections, were compared using paired t test. Side effects were monitored.

Results: BCVA, CFT, intraocular pressure (IOP), and cataract scores were not significantly different before initial and repeat injections (given at 32.5 (SD 3.5) weeks after the first injection). Transient improvements of BCVA and CFT were achieved after both injections. However, after the repeat injection, the BCVA was significantly worse at all time points (p<0.05) and so were the best achieved CFT and the CFT at 4 weeks post-injection (p = 0.034 and 0.011 respectively), compared with the initial injection. Post-injection maximum IOPs and increase in cataract scores were not significantly different between the two injections.

Conclusion: A repeat injection of 4 mg of IVTA may not be as effective as an initial injection for the treatment of DMO.

Footnotes

  • Financial support: nil.

  • Competing interests: nil.

  • Financial and proprietary interest: nil.

    Ethical approval: The patients in this study participated in clinical trials which had ethical approval from the Chinese University of Hong Kong Clinical Research Ethics Committee and the research was carried out according to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from all patients.

    Presentation: The data in this paper were presented in part at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society (3–5 Dec 2005, Hong Kong) and the 21st Congress of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (10–14 June 2006, Singapore).

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