ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the use of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide, a sterile aqueous suspension of a corticoid, as an aid to visualizing the vitreous. The use of this drug thus assists in the separation of the posterior hyaloid during pars plana vitrectomy. The boundary between the posterior cortical vitreous and the fluid-filled posterior hyaloid space is easily visualized because of the different suspension characteristics of triamcinolone acetonide in the fluid-filled posterior hyaloid space and the formed gel of the vitreous. Triamcinolone acetonide particles in the fluid-filled space are freely mobile, unlike those trapped in the gel structure of the vitreous. The aqueous suspension of triamcinolone acetonide in the vitreous provides a good visualization of the latter during vitrectomy. Triamcinolone acetonide has no retinal toxicity, and may prevent fibrin syndrome and possibly proliferative vitreoretinopathy in the postoperative period because of its inherent anti-inflammatory and antimitotic characteristics.
