Materials and Methods: 107 eyes of 89 patients who underwent intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection (43 males, mean age: 58 years) for macular edema between December 2001- January 2006 were evaluated retrospectively. Treatment indications were macular edema due to diabetes mellitus (n=69), branch retinal vein occlusion (n=23) and central retinal vein occlusion (n=15). Eleven eyes received treatment twice. The average time between two injections was 6 months (range, 4-8) in diabetic macular edema, 5 months (range, 4- 7) in retinal vein occlusion. Subjects were evaluated with bestcorrected visual acuity, indirect ophthalmoscopy, intraocular pressure and color fundus photographs.

Results: The mean follow-up time was 16 months (range, 6- 44). Visual acuity (logMAR) improved from baseline score of 1.3±0.7 (mean±SD) to final visual acuity score of 1.0±0.7 (P=0.001) in eyes with retinal vein occlusion. No significant alteration was observed between baseline and final average visual acuity (1.1±0.8 versus 1.1±0.8, P>0.05) in eyes with diabetic macular edema. At least 2 Snellen lines of visual improvement was observed in 14 eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion (61%), in 9 eyes with central vein occlusion (60%) and in 20 eyes of diabetic macular edema (29%) at the last control. Steroid induced intraocular pressure elevation was observed in 9 eyes with diabetic macular edema (13%), and in 5 eyes with retinal vein occlusion (13%) (P>0.05). Cataract extraction was performed in 4 diabetic eyes (7%), and in 3 eyes with retinal vein occlusion (9%) (P>0.05).

Conclusion: In the long-term, intravitreal triamcinolone improved visual acuity in eyes with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion but not in diabetics. There were no difference in the aspects of intraocular pressure changes and cataract development in eyes with diabetes mellitus and retinal vein occlusion. Keywords : Macular edema, intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide, diabetes mellitus, retinal vein occlusion