EXUDATIVE MACULAR DEGENERATION AND INTRAVITREAL TRIAMCINOLONE - A PILOT-STUDY

Purpose: To study the efficacy of the antiinflammatory agent triamcino lone (Kenacort A-40) in patients with exudative age-related macular de generation and subfoveal and juxtafoveal choroidal new vessels, consid ered unsuitable for laser photocoagulation. Method: Thirty eyes of 28 patients were treated with intravitreal injection of triamcinolone. Th e subsequent visual acuity (VA) of treated eyes was compared with publ ished VA outcomes of untreated eyes. Patients were classified into thr ee types according to their responses to treatment. Results: Within tw o weeks of receiving treatment, exudation decreased and vision improve d in the majority of Types I and II patients (87%), the trend continui ng in longer term follow-up. The overall VA outcome for treated eyes w as significantly better than published VA data for untreated exudative macular lesions. Conclusions: The preliminary results are encouraging and no serious side effects of a single injection of triamcinolone ha ve been detected in patients followed for up to 18 months. The treatme nt should, however, continue to be regarded as unproven and only admin istered in the context of a prospective, case-controlled clinical tria l.