Posterior Juxtascleral Infusion of Modified Triamcinolone Acetonide Formulation for Refractory Diabetic Macular Edema: One-Year Follow-Up

Abstract

To evaluate prospectively the efficacy and safety of posterior juxtascleral infusion of a new formulation of triamcinolone acetonide for refractory diffuse diabetic macular edema. This was an interventional case series. Twenty-two consecutive eyes of 18 patients with refractory diffuse diabetic macular edema were included in the study. Each patient underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and digital fluorescein angiography (FA). All patients received a suspension of 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide, 20 mg sodium chondroitin sulfate, and 15 mg sodium hyaluronate (1.5 mL), delivered posteriorly through a conjunctival and Tenon's incision. All patients completed the 1-year follow-up. On average, studied eyes received 1.5 treatments. Mean preoperative foveal thickness (+/-SD) and visual acuity (+/-SD) were 474.2 +/- 136.6 microm and 0.6 +/- 0.37 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), respectively. The central foveal thickness was significantly reduced from baseline at every follow-up visit (P < 0.001). Mean (+/-SD) reductions in macular thickness were 136 +/- 108 microm at 1 week and 128 +/- 122 microm after 1 year of follow-up. Mean (+/-SD) improvement in visual acuity at 12 months was 0.15 +/- 0.21 logMAR (P = 0.008). Visual acuity improvement of one or more lines and three or more lines were observed in 14 (63.6%) and 6 (27.3%) eyes, respectively. Seven eyes (31.8%) required topical treatment due to a significant intraocular pressure increase. Posterior juxtascleral infusion of a new formulation of triamcinolone acetonide is an effective treatment for diffuse diabetic macular edema unresponsive to conventional grid laser photocoagulation. A randomized, larger study is warranted.