SUBCONJUCTIVAL INJECTION OF BEVACIZUMAB IN CORNEAL NEOVASCULARIZATION

Kh., Ali,; M., Abd El-badie,; H., Hassan,

doi:10.21608/ejco.2019.162986

SUBCONJUCTIVAL INJECTION OF BEVACIZUMAB IN CORNEAL NEOVASCULARIZATION

Document Type : Original articles: include clinical trials, interventional research, Basic researches and clinically relevant laboratory investigations

Authors

¹ Ophthalmology dept., Faculty of Medicine, AL-Azhar Univ., Assuit, Egypt

² Ophthalmology dept, Faculty of Medicine, AL-Azhar Univ. Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/ejco.2019.162986

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this work was to assess the outcome of subconjunctival bevacizumab
(Avastin) injection in patients with corneal neovascularization (NV). Methods: Twenty eyes of
twenty patients (13 male and 7 female) with corneal neovascularization resulted from variable
ocular surface disorders were included in this prospective, non-controlled study. All eyes
received a single subconjunctival injection of 2.5 mg (0.1 ml) bevacizumab using 1 ml syringe
27 Guage needle. Morphological changes in the major and minor vessels were studied by slitlamp biomicroscopy and corneal photography pre-injection and one week, 2 months and 6
months post injection. Results: Obvious recession of minor vessels of Corneal NV was noticed
in most eyes at first week post-injection. The extent of corneal neovascularization of the major
vessels was significantly decreased 1weeks post-injection. This decrease continued noticeably
for 6 months. Conclusions: Bevacizumab can be safely and effectively used in corneal NV
treatment. It can be considered in the treatment of both minor and major vessel NV resulted
from long standing chronic inflammation (trachoma), long-standing corneal ischemia (following
contact lens wear) and other different causes. Bevacizumab was well tolerated over the
monitoring period in this research. Further controlled and long term studies are required to fully
evaluate the long term effects of this recent treatment.

Keywords