Triamcinolone aids visualization during vitrectomy for proliferative retinopathy

FUKUOKA, Japan — Triamcinolone inhibited the postoperative breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier and improved the visibility of the hyaloid during pars plana vitrectomy in a study done here.

Researchers at Kyushu University here reported on 31 patients with diabetic macular edema, proliferative diabetic retinopathy or proliferative vitreoretinopathy who underwent pars plana vitrectomy. Intravitreal injection of a triamcinolone solution was used to augment the visibility of the vitreous body.

The vitreous body was clearly seen with the aid of the triamcinolone during surgery, the authors reported, which helped them to perform posterior hyaloid resection safely and thoroughly.

Twenty-three of the 31 eyes showed an improvement in postop vision. Only one patient experienced intraocular pressure elevation greater than 21 mm Hg for 7 days. Six eyes had vitreous hemorrhage. The eyes with diabetic macular edema that received triamcinolone injection showed significantly less breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier than those that underwent routine PPV.

The method appears to be a potentially improved treatment for proliferative retinal disease, although long-term effects still need to be evaluated, the researchers said.

The report is published in Graefe’s Archives of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.