To investigate the effect of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) for the treatment of macular edema in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

Seventy patients with CRVO and persistent macular edema were included in this retrospective study. Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients received an intravitreal injection of 4 mg (0.1 cc) triamcinolone and 34 eyes of 34 control patients didnot receive an injection. Any differences in visual acuity and foveal thickness were measured and compared between the two groups. The correlation between the change in foveal thickness and visual acuity was also evaluated.

In ischemic CRVO group, the mean difference of visual acuity between the injection and the control groups was not statistically significant (p<0.05) at the initial measurement and at one week, one, three, and six months after the injection. However, in the non-ischemic CRVO group it was not clinically significant (p<0.05) at the initial time, one week or six months after the injection. But it was clinically significant at one months and three months after receiving the injection (p=0.004 and 0.001). The mean difference in foveal thickness was clinically significant (p<0.001). The visual acuity and foveal thickness were correlated in non-ischemic group but not in the ischemic group.

The IVTA appears to be an effective treatment in patients with macular edema associated with CRVO. The visual acuity of patients with non-ischemic CRVO improved temporally after the IVTA injection, but there was no significant improvement in ischemic CRVO group.