MICROPERIMETRIC CHANGES AFTER INTRAVITREAL TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE INJECTION FOR MACULAR EDEMA DUE TO CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION FEVZI SENTURK, MD,* HAKAN OZDEMIR, MD,* MURAT KARACORLU, MD, MSC,* SERRA ARF KARACORLU, MD,* OMER UYSAL, PHD† Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide on macular function in cases of macular edema because of central retinal vein occlusion. Methods: Twelve eyes of 12 patients with central retinal vein occlusion were included in this study. In each eye, at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection, logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity, macular sensitivity, fixation stability and fixation location by MP-1 microperimetry, and foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography were assessed. Results: Patients’ ages ranged from 50 to 75 years (mean 6 SD, 59 6 8 years). All patients were classified as nonischemic. At 1, 3, and 6 months, the mean foveal thickness had decreased from 453 6 108 mm to 254 6 40.3 mm, 297 6 90 mm, and 320 6 82 mm and the mean retinal sensitivity had increased from 5.5 6 3.3 dB to 9.4 6 3.5 dB, 7.8 6 3.3 dB, and 7.2 6 4.2 dB, respectively. At baseline, fixation was stable in one, relatively unstable in six, and unstable in five eyes. However, 6 months after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection, fixation was stable in 8, relatively unstable in 3, and unstable in one. At baseline, in eyes with macular edema, fixation location was predominantly central in 2, poor central in 4, and predominantly eccentric in 6. And 6 months after treatment, fixation location was predominantly central in 8, poor central in 3, and predominantly eccentric in 1. Conclusion: In eyes with macular edema in central retinal vein occlusion, a short-term improvement in retinal sensitivity and fixation properties can be achieved by intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection. RETINA 30:1254–1261, 2010 C entral retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is a retinal vascular disorder often complicated by macular edema (ME). The natural history of the disorder reveals that 47% of eyes with perfused CRVO and initial visual acuity 20/50 or worse have final visual acuity of 20/250 in 3 years. 1 The CRVO Study Group, in a double-masked study of 155 eyes with visual acuity 20/50 or worse, evaluated the efficacy of grid laser photocoagulation in the management of ME caused by CRVO. 2 Intravitreal triamcinolone aceto- nide injection may stabilize leaky vascular endothe- lium, reducing the extracellular fluid accumulation that causes ME, perhaps by downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor. 3 Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide has been used to treat various intraocular neovascular, proliferative, and edematous diseases. 4–7 It has also been shown that intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection is effective for treating ME due to From the *The Istanbul Retina Institute, Istanbul, Turkey; and †Department of Biostatistics, Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey. The authors indicate no financial support or financial conflict of interest. Reprint requests: Murat Karacorlu, MD, MSc, Istanbul Retina Institute, Unimed Center, Hakki Yeten Cad., 19/7, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey 34349; e-mail: retina@pobox.com 1254