Diffuse diabetic macular oedema treated by intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide: a comparative, non-randomised study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Medical Treatments

Background:

• Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a leading cause of vision loss in diabetic patients.
• Diffuse DME presents unique challenges for treatment and visual outcome.
• Current treatments aim to improve or preserve visual acuity in affected individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the visual outcomes of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injections for diffuse diabetic macular edema.
• To compare the efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide with conventional laser treatment for DME.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, comparative, non-randomized clinical study involving 136 patients with diffuse DME.
• The study group (97 eyes) received intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (20-25 mg) without additional retinal treatment.
• The control group (69 eyes) received focal or panretinal laser treatment as indicated. Mean follow-up was 8.4 months.

Main Results:

• Significant visual acuity (VA) improvement (p<0.001) was observed in 68% of eyes treated with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide, with at least a two-line gain on Snellen charts.
• Eyes receiving laser treatment showed no significant VA change initially, followed by a significant decrease (p<0.001) by the end of follow-up.
• The difference in best VA change between the triamcinolone acetonide group and the laser group was statistically significant (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide demonstrates potential for temporary visual acuity enhancement in select patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema.
• The study suggests triamcinolone acetonide may offer a superior short-term visual outcome compared to laser photocoagulation for diffuse DME.