Triamcinolone treatment as a low-cost alternative for AMD

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Triamcinolone acetonide may be an effective and low-cost treatment for patients with age-related macular degeneration, said Federico Graue, MD, here during the Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology. The drug may be particularly effective for patients who either cannot afford, or are unresponsive to, photodynamic therapy, he added.

Dr. Graue evaluated 13 patients over a 6-month period and found that an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone reduced membrane density, even though the drug’s exact mechanism of action is still a mystery.

“It is known that triamcinolone has an antiangiogenic effect and an anti-inflammatory effect that can reduce growth of the existing membrane,” Dr. Graue said. Membrane function was also extended, indicating the drug might stabilize the membrane.

In his study, Dr. Graue evaluated optical coherence tomography in patients with subfoveal, juxtafoveal and well-defined choroidal neovascularization.

“We didn’t find a significant difference in the visual fields but more in membrane density,” he said. Intraocular pressure was significantly elevated after 1 month of treatment, however, he said.