Intravitreal Diclofenac Versus Intravitreal Triamcinolone for Diabetic Macular Edema

Aim of Study: To investigate the effect and safety of intravitreal injection of Diclofenac versus intravitreal triamcinolone in the treatment of diabetic macular edema. Patients and Methods: A total of 30 eyes with Diffuse Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) were included in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to either intravitreal Diclofenac sodium (IVD) injection (500 µg/0.1mL) or intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection (4mg/0.1mL). Patients were followed-up weekly for one month and then monthly for six months. Serial exams included dilated fundus examination, Intraocular Pressure (IOP) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurements. The response to treatment was monitored by evaluating the central macular thickness (CMT) using optical coherence tomography (OCT), the BCVA and noting the incidence of any adverse events at one, three and six months. Results: Evaluation of the postoperative mean CMT revealed a statistically significant reduction at one, three and six months in both groups compared with the preoperative values. No statistically significant difference between both groups was observed. There was a statistically significant improvement in the mean BCVA at one month in both groups but this improvement was statistically insignificant at the other follow-up visits. No major side effects were reported in both groups. Conclusion: Intravitreal diclofenac injection is safe and effective when compared to intravitreal triamcinolone injection in diabetic macular edema.