RCMC Journal Volume-1, No-1, July 2011Efficacy of Intralesional Triamcinolone Acetonide Injection in the Management of Chalazion. Md. Akhtaruzzaman,1Md. Ataur Rahman2Abstract : Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection in the treatment of Chalazia. Study Design: Prospective interventional study. Material and methods: 96 Patients presenting with Chalazia, with a range of age 12 years and above, treated at the Dept. of Ophthalmology, BSMMU, Dhaka from July 2008 to June 2009 were included. Study population were divided into two groups on patients choice method. Group–A ( study group) consists of 54 chalazion patients who were took triamcinolone acetonide injection and in Group–B (control group) where 42 chalazion patients underwent incision & curettage procedure. Data regarding: Lesion size, lesion regression or recurrence and complete ophthalmic examination were recorded at the time of injection and subsequent follow-up. Success was defined as the disappearance of or decrease in size of lesion to 1mm in diameter or less after 1 month of treatment. Results: Success rate was 88% in Group –A and 92.5% in Group-B. There was no significant difference observed in two groups. Conclusion: Triamcinolone injection is an effective treatment in Chalazia, achieving lesion regression. Most cases resolve with 1 injection. It may be considered as a first treatment in cases when diagnosis is straightforward. It is a safe treatment and cost is accessible. Key word: Chalazion, Triamcinolone Acetoide RCMCJ 2011; 1(1): 19-24 Introduction
refractive error.3Cosmetically they can be
meaning hailstone.1 Chalazion is a chronic
inflammatory granulomatous infiltration of conjunctivitis or cellulitus.4 Patients are meibomian glands caused by the blockage of usually initially advised to apply hot meibomian gland orifices and stagnation of compresses to the cyst with a wet flannel to sebaceous secretion.2 The granuloma contains
encourage it to spontaneously drain. Previous
studies have found a 25-50% resolution rate
epitheloid and giant cells, neutrophils,
with this conservative treatment.5,6 Persistent
eosinophils and lymphocytes. The condition
lesions may be treated through different
affects almost people of all ages. A chalazion
treatment options. These include incision and
presents as a mass on the eyelid, causing
acetonide 0.2 ml (40 mg/ml), injected through
Larger-sized chalazia may cause ptosis and
the conjunctiva, in the lesion with a tuberculin
syringe.7 In the late 1970’s, treatment with
described.8 Since then, there have been a few
2. Registrar, Dept. of Ophthalmology, Rangpur
investigating the efficacy, simplicity and
Medical College Hospital. Address of Correspondence: *
safety of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide
email: [email protected]
(TA) in the treatment of chalazion and in
RCMC Journal Volume-1, No-1, July 2011
from the study. Informed consent was taken
corticosteroid injection and surgical treatment
from the patients and a proforma was used to
of chalazia. But there are no local studies
record data regarding lesion size, duration of
available to compare the treatment outcomes
the lesion, history of onset, whether the lesion
of intralesional triamcinolone acetonide
injection in primary and recurrent chalazia.
recruitment of the patients. Patients were
reported following transcutaneous injections
but adverse effects are minimized through
treatment procedure. Group- A (Triamcinolone
trans-conjunctival injection.9 In addition
Acetonide injection) was study group and
Group-B ( Surgical) was control group. Group
–A consists of 54 patients (4 patient dropped
injection of triamcinolone acetonide into the
out) and Group-B consists of 42 patients (2
chalazion.10 Chalazion is a common eye lid
patient dropped out). Patients were also
disease. Incision & curettage is the traditional
subgroup according to size of lesion and
technique and relatively costly, requiring pad and bandage for some hours. On the other
hand intralesional triamcinolone acetonide is
reduction of size of chalazion. The patient
relatively less invasive method which is very
was reviewed after 2 weeks. The size of the
lesion was again measured at longest axis in
bandage, hence not curtailing the working
mm. If the lesion had reduced by half of its
original size at the two weeks stage, the
Several studies7,9 have shown that intralesional
appointment after one month and, if all was
successfully treat the chalazion. So studies are
well at this stage or decrease in size of
necessary to observe the efficacy of this
chalazion to 1mm in diameter the patient was
intervention in the management of chalazion
in comparison to traditional incision and
repeated if the chalazion had not reduced by
half of its original size. Success was defined as the disappearance of or decrease in size to
Materials & Methods:
1mm in diameter or less within after one
This prospective interventional comparative
months of initial treatment. If a lesion
study was carried out in the Department of recurred or regressed minimally (<50%),
further injections were administered. Patients
Medical University, Dhaka over a period of who did not respond to two injections after one
one year from july 2008 to june 2009. 96
month were referred for surgical procedure.
patients of both male & female patients, age 12 years and above, primary and recurrent
Technique of intralesional triamcinolone
chalazion patients were included in this study.
acetonide injection:
6 patient were dropped out during follow up.
The triamcinolone acetonide injection 40
The painful chalazion, chalazion suspicious to
mg/ml was diluted with 3 ml 2% lignocaine
injection to form 10 mg /ml concentration
diseases and age below 12 years were excluded
Then 1 ml triamcinolone acetonide was taken
RCMC Journal Volume-1, No-1, July 2011
by 1 ml insulin syringe with 27 gauge needle.
The conjunctiva was anaesthetized with 0.4%
oxybuprocaine drops. The skin of the eyelids
Table-I and II shows the success rate of
triamcinolone acetonide injection (Group A)
povidone iodine and draping of the treated
and incision & curettage (Group B) group in
eye was done meticulously. The eyelid was
treating chalazion in respect of size of the
everted without use of chalazion clamp and
lesion respectively. No significant difference
needle was passed transconjunctivally into the
(p>0.05) was observed within both group
chalazion in such a way that inadvertent
perforation of globe could not occur, even if
the needle was passed too deeply and during
Success rate of Intralesional triamcinolone
procedure lid guard was used. A 27 gauge
needle on 1ml insulin syringe was used to
acetonide injection in treating the chalazion
according to size of the lesion ( Group -A )
triamcinolone acetonide transconjunctivally
into the chalazion. The amount of injection
depends on the size of the lesion or resistance
felt on the syringe plunger (Fig-I). In this
procedure a total 54 patients with chalazia
were treated with triamcinolone acetonide
injection. Care was taken not rupture the wall
Table: II
of the chlazion. If the wall of the chlazion
Success rate of Incision and curettage in
ruptured, the case was excluded from the
treating chalazion in respect of size of the
study. The eye was not padded after procedure
but was given chloramphenicol eye ointment
to apply to the treated eye three times daily
for 5 days and was instructed to apply gentle
digital massage over the chalazion for 5
minutes after each ointment application.
injection and incision & curettage according
to duration of the lesion were shown in Table
III and IV. The result was not significant
Table: III
Response to triamcinolone acetonide injection according to chronicity of the lesion in Group-A
Fig.I:Procedure of injection RCMC Journal Volume-1, No-1, July 2011Table: IV Table-VIII
Response to incision & curettage according to
Complications of intralesional triamcinolone
versus incision & curettage after one month follow up.
Complications Injection group (50) Incision & curettage
Table V & VI shows the outcome according to
Discussion
follow up in triamcenolone acetonide injection
treated patient (Group-A) and incision &
curettage group (Group-B) respectively.
composed of corticosteroid sensitive histocytes, multinucleated giant cells,
Result of triamcenolone injection group after
corticosteroids has the desirable effect of
suppressing additional inflammatory cells and
impending chronic fibrosis and scar formation,
which typically appear as a small, firm, non tender aft er resolution of the acute chalazion. Table: VI
Result of incision & curettage group after first
In our study, no significant differences were
observed within triamcinolone acetonide injection (Group A) and incision & curettage
(Group B) group regarding success rate in
respect to different size of the lesion. These
findings are comparable with the study of HO
Table VII Shows the comparison of success
injection and incision & curettage according to
results was not significant (p >0.05).
duration of the lesion were not significant
Table: VII
(p>0.05) Similar finding are observed in the
Comparison of success rate between injection
group ( Group-A) & operation group (Group-B)
population 66% lesion response with the 1st
dose of injection and 20% lesion response with
the 2nd dose of injection whereas 89.18%
lesion response with the first procedure and
procedure in incision & curettage group. This
triamcinolone acetonide injection versus incision
study result is also similar with the watson &
& curettage groupwere shown in Table-VIII
RCMC Journal Volume-1, No-1, July 2011
proportion of cases (14%) required surgical
acetonide injection group were 86% and in the
incision & curettage group were 92.5%. There
triamcinolone acetonide is quick, safe, cheap
was no statistically significant difference
between two groups of treatment. This study
is corresponds with that of Goawalla and lee
Conclusion
During one month follow up period there was depigmentation of the lid skin which is
There is no obvious ideal treatment for all
yellowish white in colour observed in two
cases of chalazion. However the surgery is
more time consuming and requires the use of
operating room, sterile instrument etc. Steroid
suspension form and partly due to local side
injection can be applied in treating children,
effect of steroid. In incision & curettage group
multiple chalazion where surgical treatment is
there were no such types of complication
not feasible & patients who are afraid of
observed during one month follow up period.
undergoing surgery. It is simple and cheap and
This study is comparable with that Rahman
injection may be an effective alternative to the
Analysis of outcome evaluation in this study
shows that intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection is effective in resolving
References
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triamcenolone in chalazion: a reason to relax
special instrument and convenient for patients
and doctors. Paching is not needed. Multiple
URL:http:/ www.aios.org/proceed08/papers/ind
chalazia in the eyelids of both side can be
treated in same sitting. This type of treatment 3.
is specially suitable for chalazion near the
medial canthus to avoid damage to lacrimal
The disadvantage of this procedure is that
for orbital cellulitis. Int ophthalmol clin.
20% cases required second injection and small
RCMC Journal Volume-1, No-1, July 2011
resolution. Br Med J. 1983; 287: 1595.
corticosteroid therapy of chalazia. Am J
10. Newrock J, Swietliczko I, Newrocka Z.
accidental injection of depot steroids into
between intralesional steroid therapy and
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