To evaluate the relationship between focal aggravation of the macular edema on retinal thickness change analysis (RTCA) of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiographic findings in patients after an intravitreal triamcinolone injection (IVTA).

From May 2004 to April 2005, RTCA in a fast macular thickness map (FMTM) of OCT was performed before and 4 weeks after IVTA in patients who had macular edemas caused by diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion. Patients underwent IVTA, and focal aggravation of the edema was detected. After overlapping the OCT findings onto angiographic pictures, the relationship between the focal aggravation on OCT and the leaking point on angiography was investigated.

In the patient group, focal aggravation was found in 5 of 27 eyes (18.5%); in the control group, only 2 of 30 eyes (6.7%) showed focal aggravation. As compared with angiographic pictures, 4 eyes with focal aggravation showed no relation to the leakage on angiography.

Focal aggravation of macular edemas after IVTA on RTCA are not related to the leakage on angiography and could be an error from several artifacts.