The Effect of Subtenon Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection for Diabetic Macular Edema on Retinal and Choroidal Circulation

• Published in: American journal of ophthalmology Vol. 140; no. 5; pp. 948 - 949
• Main Authors: Mawatari, Yuki, Koga, Tomoyo, Inumaru, Junko, Hirata, Akira, Fukushima, Mikiko, Tanihara, Hidenobu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-11-2005; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blood Circulation - drug effects; Blood Flow Velocity - drug effects; Choroid - blood supply; Connective Tissue; Diabetes; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Retinopathy - drug therapy; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; Fluorescein Angiography; Glucocorticoids - administration & dosage; Humans; Indocyanine Green; Injections; Macular Edema - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Ophthalmology; Prospective Studies; Regional Blood Flow - drug effects; Retinal Vessels - physiology; Retinopathies; Triamcinolone Acetonide - administration & dosage; Endocrinopathy; Corticosteroid; Macula; Eye disease; Retinopathy; Diabetes mellitus; Antiinflammatory agent; Choroid; Retinal edema; Injection; Ophthalmology; Antiasthma agent
• ISSN: 0002-9394; 1879-1891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2005.06.002

To evaluate changes in retinal and choroidal circulation after subtenon triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection for diabetic macular edema.
Prospective interventional case series.
Thirteen eyes of 13 patients with diabetic macular edema were studied. Fluorescein and indocyanine green angiograms were performed at three periods: before the injection and 1 week and 6 months after subtenon injection of TA (40 mg). Retinal arteriovenous passage time (as an indicator of retinal circulation) and choroidal τ (as an indicator of early filling velocity of choroid) were obtained with image analysis software.
Choroidal τ values before and 1 week after subtenon TA injection were, respectively, 3.2 ± 0.4 and 4.0 ± 0.7 seconds, which showed a significant delay (
P = .01, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The delayed choroidal τ values returned to pretreatment level at 6 months after TA injection. In contrast, the arteriovenous passage time remained unchanged.
Subtenon TA injection transiently influences choroidal blood flow.