[Retrobulbar triamcinolone injection and glycemic control]

To look for alterations of glycemic control as a secondary systemic effect of the retrobulbar injection of triamcinolone acetonide in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

We studied 40 patients (25 men and 15 women, 20 with and 20 without diabetes). The injection site in all patients was the retrobulbar space, with one injection of 1ml triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg). Capillary blood glucose was measured at 8 a.m. on the day of treatment as baseline, and on the 7 days following the injection.

The mean capillary blood glucose level was significantly higher at the day 1 post-treatment visit (218.3 +/- 70 mg/dl) than at baseline (138.3 +/- 21 mg/dl) in the diabetic group (p< 0.001). On day 4 post-treatment, capillary blood glucose remained significantly elevated compared to baseline in the diabetic patients (185.7 +/- 67.8 mg/dl) (p= 0.01). Mean capillary blood glucose was significantly higher at the day 1 post-treatment visit (154.2 +/- 30.1 mg/dl) than at baseline (119.3 +/- 12 mg/dl) in the non-diabetic group (p< 0.001). At the day 4 post-treatment visit, capillary blood glucose remained significantly elevated compared to baseline in the non-diabetic patients (145.5 +/- 55.8 mg/dl) (p= 0.01).

The administration of triamcinolone acetonide by retrobulbar injection was followed by elevations in capillary glycemia in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, but severe hyperglycemia was observed only in the diabetic group.