Abstract
Purpose
To assess the intraocular pressure (IOP) and corneal endothelial changes, over a 6-month period, after a single injection of intravitreal triamcinolone (ivTA) in Chinese patients.
Methods
A total of 43 eyes of 43 consecutive Chinese patients with various macular diseases received a single bolus injection of 4 mg ivTA, of which, 14 eyes with significant cataracts underwent simultaneous phacoemulsification and primary intraocular lens implantation. IOP was measured preoperatively and weekly in the first month, and then monthly until 6 months postinjection. Specular microscopy was performed on 24 of the 29 eyes without simultaneous cataract surgery, preoperatively and at months 1, 3, and 6.
Results
All patients completed 6 months of follow-up. Nine out of 43 (20.9%) eyes had IOP >21 mmHg. Their mean maximum IOP was 29.2 mmHg (range 23.0–37.0), necessitating the use of 2.0 types of topical antiglaucomatous medications on average. The IOP elevation occurred at a mean of 5.2 weeks (range 1–17) postinjection. All IOPs returned to normal, without additional antiglaucomatous medications, by 6 months. There was no statistically significant difference (paired t-test, P<0.05) in the corneal endothelial cell count and other specular microscopy parameters up to 6 months after the injections.
Conclusion
A single 4 mg bolus injection of ivTA appeared to have no harmful effects on the corneal endothelium. IvTA caused transient IOP elevations in 20.9% of Chinese patients, similar to that observed in Caucasians. As the IOP rise can occur as early as 1 week after the injection, early monitoring will help its early detection and prevent optic nerve damage.
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Presentation: The data in this paper were presented in part as an oral presentation at the 4th Congress of the Asian-Oceanic Glaucoma Society, 1–4 October 2003, Hong Kong.
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Chan, C., Fan, D., Chan, Wm. et al. Ocular-hypertensive response and corneal endothelial changes after intravitreal triamcinolone injections in Chinese subjects: a 6-month follow-up study. Eye 19, 625–630 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6701585
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6701585
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