Preparation of the triamcinolone acetonide solution for intravitreal use by removal of benzyl alcohol

Purpose: Intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) has been reported to be efficacious in treating various vitreoretinal diseases. We determined the feasibility of preparing TA solution for intraocular use by removing benzyl alcohol from a commercially supplied solution of Kenacort®-A. Methods: A 5-ml vial of Kenacort®-A containing 50 mg of TA was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 5 minutes and the supernatant was removed. The residuum was diluted with 5 ml of intraocular irrigating solution (Opeguard ®-MA) and the mixture was centrifuged again. After removal of the resulting supernatant, the final solution was prepared by mixing the residuum with Opeguard®-MA. The concentrations of TA and benzyl alcohol in the final solution were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The concentration of TA in the final solution was 92.2% of the concentration in the initial solution and the concentration of benzyl alcohol in the final solution was only 0.04% of the concentration in the initial solution. Conclusion: It is feasible to prepare a solution of TA for intravitreal injection by removing benzyl alcohol from a commercial solution.