The use of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of severe intrinsic bronchial asthma.

A group of 145 patients with severe intrinsic bronchial asthma symptoms was treated with repeated intramuscular injections of triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog) during an average period of two years. Kenalog was administered mainly to persons with persistent attacks of asthmatic dyspnea and frequent recurrent infections of the respiratory tract in which other drugs, including orally administered steroids, did not lead to any improvement in the asthmatic symptoms. The results of therapy were excellent (total disappearance of asthmatic manifestations) or good (considerable improvement of asthma symptoms) in 88.3% of treated cases, while in 11.7% of patients, Kenalog had no effect. In 13.8% of cases, side effects, especially weight gain, disturbances in menstruation, increase in blood pressure, edema and spontaneous echymoses were observed. The triamcinolone acetonide depot-preparation is, in the authors' opinion, highly effective in the management of severe intrinsic asthma cases, unsucessfully treated by other methods. The prolonged use of Kenalog can, however, like other steroids provoke, several side effects.