Selected Abstracts

Time Course of Changes in Retinal Thickness and Visual Acuity After Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide for Diffuse Diabetic Macular Edema With and Without Previous Macular Laser Treatment

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) on retinal thickness and visual acuity (VA) in patients with and without previous laser treatment. A total of 23 eyes with clinically significant diabetic macular edema (CSDME) were evaluated (12 with previous laser treatment and 11 without previous laser treatment). VA and macular thickening were assessed in all patients 48 hours after injection, weekly for the first month, then again at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Both groups showed a reduction in edema that peaked in the first 7 days following injection and then remained stable for 3 months. At 6 months, retinal thickness had increased. Similarly, VA improved over the first 2 weeks, remained stable for 6 months, and then declined. Overall, IVTA was effective in reducing macular edema and improving VA in the short term among patients with CSDME both with and without previous laser treatment.

Effects of Macugen Upon Diabetic Retinopathy: Regression of Diabetic Retinal Neovascularization and Improvement in Retinopathy Severity Indices

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of Macugen (pegaptanib sodium) on retinal neovascularization among people with both nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). All participants had an ETDRS Severity Scale Index score of greater than or equal to 61B and best-corrected visual acuity (VA) between 20/50 and 20/320. Intravitreous pegaptanib was administered at doses of .3 mg, 1 mg, and 3 mg, and patients receiving pegaptanib were compared with patients receiving sham injections. Injections were given at study entry and at 6 and 12 weeks. Additional injections and/or focal photocoagulation were given as needed for up to 30 weeks. Patients were followed for 82 weeks. Retinopathy was assessed using fundus photography and fluorescein angiography. A total of 16 subjects participated in this study. At 36 weeks, a total of 8 of the 13 participants who received pegaptanib treatment had a regression of neovascularization, a regression of fluorescein leakage, or both. By comparison, none of the sham subjects showed these effects. In 3 of the 8 eyes with regression, neovascularization was again present at 52 weeks. In conclusion, these preliminary results indicate that pegaptanib may be an effective strategy for treating neovascularization.