Application of optical coherence tomography in the evaluation of the effect of intravitreal injection of Triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for uveitic macular edema

Objective To evaluate the effect of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for uveitic macular edema (ME) measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Twenty-four eyes of 21 patients suffered with ME secondary to uveitis from January 2012 to December 2014 were included in this retrospective study. All of the patients were treated by intravitreal injection of TA. The follow-up period was 6 months. The OCT was used to measure the central macular thickness (CMT) before and after TA injection. Results The visual acuity was 0.21±0.18(LogMAR) 6 months after treatment, which was improved significantly compared with preoperative 0.72±0.26 (LogMAR) (t=8.23, P=0.008). The mean CMT was (532.12±46.23) μm at base and was (236.16±31.23) μm at 6 months after the operation (t=9.12, P=0.005). Conclusion Intravitreal injection of TA is effective for ME secondary to uveitis , but the ocular complications of glucocorticoid should be concerned. The OCT has important implications for the diagnosis, treatment and following up of ME. Key words: Macular edema, cystoid; Uveitis; Intravitreal injection; Triamcinolone acetonide; Optical coherence tomography