Efficacy and safety of suprachoroidal triamcinolone acetonide in cases of resistant diabetic macular edema

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Suprachoroidal Triamcinolone Acetonide (SCTA) injection in patients with treatment resistant Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). Methods: This was a prospective non randomized interventional study conducted in the vitreoretinal department of Al Ehsan Welfare Eye Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from March 2018 to September 2018. A total of 24 eyes of 24 patients were included. Baseline Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) and Central Subfield Thickness (CST) was recorded. After SCTA, patient was followed up at one and three months and same clinical parameters were recorded again and results analyzed. Results: Out of 24 patients, 11(45.83%) were males and 13(54.16%) were females. Mean pre injection CST was 636.5 ± 200.11 um. Mean pre injection BCVA was 0.8 ± 0.24 on ETDRS chart. Mean post injection CST at one and three months was 304.54 ± 67.43 and 302.66 ± 66.93 um. Mean post injection BCVA at one and three months was 0.47 ± 0.3 and 0.45 ± 0.27 on ETDRS chart. The results were statistically significant for pre and post injection CST at both one and three months (p-value < 0.00001). Pre and post injection BCVA was also statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Preliminary evidence suggests that SCTA is well tolerated and may help in improving functional and structural outcomes of treatment resistant DME.