Twenty-five eyes (23 patients) with inflammatory cystoid macular edema (CME) (11 after cataract surgery and 14 eyes (12 patients) with uveitis) were followed in a prospective open study. The aim was to determine the efficiency of a combined treatment of Diamox (acetazolamide), Voltaren Ophtha (diclofenac, a NSAID) and Ultracortenol (prednisolone acetate) and in the case of treatment failure, the usefulness of posterior subtenon's injections of corticosteroids (Kenacort 40 mg (triamcinolone)). Seven eyes (all pseudophakic CMEs) responded successfully to the initial therapy. Their mean visual acuity improved from 0.31 +/- 0.13 to 0.93 +/- 0.08 after 18 +/- 5 days (p less than or equal to 0.001). Of the sixteen of 18 evaluable eyes that were additionally treated with a mean of 3.28 +/- 1.07 three-weekly posterior subtenon's injections, 15 eyes including all uveitis CME responded to treatment. Their mean visual acuity improved from 0.49 +/- 0.20 to 0.96 +/- 0.31 (p less than or equal to 0.001). Two patients were excluded; in 22/23 eyes the sequential treatment was successful with an overall success rate of 95% of cases (improvement of five lines on the Snellen chart or final visual acuity of 0.8 or better). Initial angiographic cystoid macular edema was comparable and significantly improved after therapy in the two treatment groups. No mean intraocular pressure rise was noted after steroid injections. Measurement of anterior chamber inflammation with the laser flare-cell meter (Kowa FC-1000) showed elevated flare in all cases which significantly decreased in both treatment groups and represented a good follow-up parameter for the effect of antiinflammatory treatment and restoration of blood-ocular barrier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)