Original Article

Evaluation of ocular blood flow by color doppler ultrasonography after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection - Original Article

  • Mustafa Alpaslan Anayol
  • Yasin Toklu
  • Elif Aşık
  • Hüseyin Simavlı
  • Ayşe Gül Koçak Altıntaş
  • Şaban Şimşek

Received Date: 20.03.2008 Accepted Date: 02.05.2008 Turk J Ophthalmol 2008;38(4):336-341

Purpose:

To evaluate changes in ocular blood flow by color doppler ultrasonography (CDU) after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection.

Material and Methods:

Seventeen patients who underwent IVTA injection were included in this study. IVTA injection was performed for diabetic macular edema (n=9), choroidal neo-vascular membrane (n=5), and edema due to retinal vein occlusion (n=3). Ocular blood flows of all patients were evaluated by CDU before IVTA injection, 1 week, and 1 month after injection. Contralateral eyes of patients were accepted as control group. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistivity index (RI) were measured from ophthalmic artery (OA), Central retinal artery (CRA), and posterior ciliary artery (PCA) of all patients.

Results:

Mean ages of patients were 64.8±8.7 (50-79) years. Mean ocular blood flow valu-es before injection were not statistically different than control eyes (p=0.486). PSV measured from OA at 1 st week (40.5±12.4cm/s) had increased compared to that before injection (35.8± 12.4cm/s), but was not statistically significant (p=0.435). Mean RI measured from OA at 1 st week (0.77±0.06) had increased compared to that before injection (0.73±0.09), and difference was statistically significant (p=0.032). Mean PSV of SRA at 1st week (9.2±3.4cm/s) had decre-ased compared to pre-treatment values (10.9±5.6cm/s), but difference was not statistically significant (p=0.463). Change in RI values of SRA before (0.75±0.11), and 1 week after (0.76±0.07) treatment was not statistically significant (p=0.523). PSV measured over PSA at 1 st week (11.4±4.4cm/s) had also decreased compared to pre-treatment values (14.1±5.4cm/s), but difference was not statistically significant (p=0.210). There was no statistically significant difference between pre-treatment (0.74±0.11), and 1 st week (0.74±0.07) values of RI measured over PSA (p=0.943). None of the measurements at 1st month showed any statistically significant changes compared to pre-treatment and 1st week measurements.

Conclusion:

Variations in ocular blood flow after IVTA injection, especially in early peri-ods, may occur, but these changes return to normal at 1st month.

Keywords: Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide, Ocular blood flow, diabetic macular edema, central retinal vein occlusion, choroidal neovascular membrane

Full Text (Turkish)