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Peribulbar triamcinolone reduces inflammation in eyes with Graves' ophthalmopathy
Acta Ophthalmol. 2009;87(1):58-64.
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Inflammatory signs of moderate Graves' ophthalmopathy decreased with peribulbar triamcinolone acetonide injections. The corticosteroid proved to be a potential alternative treatment for optic neuropathy associated with the disorder.
The prospective pilot study included 21 patients with controlled systemic thyroid disease and active Graves' ophthalmopathy, as defined by a clinical activity score of 4 or higher. Eleven patients had moderate Graves' ophthalmopathy, and 10 patients had optic neuropathy.
Peribulbar triamcinolone acetonide was injected into all 42 eyes. The dosing regimen was four injections of 20 mg at 2-week intervals. Patients underwent full ophthalmologic examination that included clinical activity score evaluation, visual field assessment, computerized tomography scanning and digital photography before and after treatment. Patients underwent follow-up examination for a minimum of 14 months.
Study data showed mean clinical activity score of 6.38 at baseline and 1.8 at 6 months after treatment. Of the 10 patients initially diagnosed with optic neuropathy, 66% showed improvement with peribulbar triamcinolone injection alone. A topical medication was used to control a transient increase in IOP in two patients.
Further research is needed to confirm early results, the study said.