Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection for acute non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy

• Published in: Clinical and experimental optometry Vol. 91; no. 6; pp. 561 - 564
• Main Authors: Yaman, Aylin, Selver, Ozlem Barut, Saatci, A Osman, Soylev, Meltem F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Taylor & Francis 01.11.2008; Blackwell Publishing Asia
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adult; Aged; Arteritis - drug therapy; Female; Glucocorticoids - therapeutic use; Humans; Injections; Male; Middle Aged; non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy; Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic - drug therapy; triamcinolone acetonide; Triamcinolone Acetonide - therapeutic use; Visual Acuity - drug effects; Visual Fields - drug effects; Vitreous Body
• ISSN: 0816-4622; 1444-0938
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1444-0938.2008.00287.x

Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy is the most common optic neuropathy of the elderly, characterised by unilateral, sudden, painless visual loss. No effective treatment has been proven to reverse or limit the course of this disease. We evaluated the role of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection in eyes with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Four eyes of four patients with acute NAION received a single intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (4-mg). The time between visual loss and intravitreal injection varied between four and 10 days. Mean age of patients was 57.25 years (range, 44 to 77 years). All patients experienced some visual gain. No complications related to the injection were observed during the following three months. Intravitreal triamcinolone injection may offer help in limiting the damage in this small group of patients with a relatively short history of visual loss due to NAION.