Purpose: To assess the efficacy of a single intraoperative intraocular injection of triamcinolone acetonide during cataract surgery to prevent postoperative fibrin formation in patients with iridocyclitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, Muenster, Germany.
Methods: The charts of 22 patients (16 girls and 6 boys) with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and chronic iridocyclitis having lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy were retrospectively reviewed. In 12 patients (14 eyes), triamcinolone acetonide 4 mg was injected into the anterior chamber at the end of the surgery (triamcinolone group). Another 10 patients (13 eyes) received an intraoperative intravenous injection of methylprednisolone and postoperative oral prednisolone (systemic treatment group). No intraocular lenses were implanted. Postoperatively, prednisolone acetate 1% eyedrops were given. The main problems included intraocular inflammation, the need for additional systemic corticosteroids, and intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation.
Results: The mean patient age was 10.6 years +/- 3.1 (SD) in the triamcinolone group and 7.4 +/- 2.7 years in the systemic treatment group. The mean follow-up was 9.9 +/- 3.6 months and 10.9 +/- 1.2 months, respectively. All patients were taking systemic immunosuppression before surgery, and the medication was continued postoperatively. Fibrin formation was not seen after surgery in the triamcinolone group but occurred in 5 patients in the systemic treatment group (P = .02). Additional systemic corticosteroids were not required in the triamcinolone group. All patients had visual acuity improvement. No increase in IOP was noted after the triamcinolone acetate injections.
Conclusions: Intraoperative intraocular injection of 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide may be more effective than intraoperative intravenous methylprednisolone and additional postoperative short-term oral prednisolone in preventing postoperative fibrin formation after cataract surgery in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and iridocyclitis.