AIM:To study the effect of posterior sub-Tenon's capsule injection of triamcinolone acetonide(TA)in treatment of patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema(DME)before panretinal photocoagulation(PRP).

METHODS:Retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 96 cases(96 eyes)with DME treated in our hospital from October 2008 to May 2012, and the patients were divided into the study group and control group, each group with 48 cases(48 eyes), the control group were only treated with PRP, and for the study group, TA was injected one week before PRP. At 6mo after treatment, best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and retinal thickness changes of two groups were compared, the changes of intraocular pressure in two groups was analyzed.

RESULTS:After treatment, two groups were followed up for 6mo, compared with before treatment, the expression of BCVA in control group was reduced, and rise in the study group, with significant difference between the two groups(P<0.05), and during the follow-up period, IOP change was in the normal range for the two groups, with no the difference(P>0.05), the study group had foveal thickness reduction of 9.6μm, the control group was increased by 31.9μm, with significant difference(P<0.05), parafoveal thickness in the study group decreased 5μm, significantly increased 22.1μm in the study group, centre concave surrounding thickness increased 0.4μm in study group and 19.4μm for the control group, with no significant difference(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION:TA injection in patients with diffuse DME before PRP is safe and effective, and it is superior to simple PRP therapy, and it can be applied in primary hospital.