Triamcinolone acetonide is a hydrophobic long-acting steroid preparation, which is increasingly being administered intraocularly to treat a variety of retinal conditions.  With its long duration of action and good safety profile it seems an ideal agent to treat conditions requiring long-term ocular steroids.  It seems highly effective in preventing intraocular proliferation and stabilizing the blood retinal barrier making it a useful adjunctive treatment for a variety of retinal conditions with refractory macular edema.  It is particularly attractive in patients who have isolated ocular disease especially unilateral, providing an anti-inflammatory efficacy equal to or greater than that achieved with systemic administration while avoiding unwanted side effects.

Its effects can last several months and as with all drugs there are side effects which require patients to be monitored carefully.  As a result, its use should currently be limited to specific clinical situations where the patient is refractory to other treatment and then only following careful consideration of possible side effects.