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Anti-VEGF can treat corneal neovascularization, especially in acute patients
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NUSA DUA, Indonesia - Subconjunctival injections of bevacizumab safely and effectively treated corneal neovascularization in a small study presented here.
 Balamurali K. Ambati |
"The takeaway message I'd like to say is that I believe its use in the ocular surface is safe. It is effective, especially in acute neovascularization," Balamurali K. Ambati, MD, said during the joint meeting of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "In patients with chronic disease, the response is not as dramatic."
Dr. Ambati showed a study of 12 eyes — five with penetrating keratoplasty rejection, one with lamellar keratoplasty, one with keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome, one associated with astigmatic keratotomy, two that were neurotrophic and two with chemical burn. Patients received one to four subconjunctival injections of Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) at 2.5 mg on a monthly basis
Nine eyes showed improvement as evidenced by partial regression of vessels or the presence of ghost vessels and improvement of more than one line of Snellen visual acuity, although Dr. Ambati said ghost vessels may persist. Two eyes showed no change and one was lost to follow-up. There were no adverse reactions related to the subconjunctival injections of bevacizumab.
"The chronic vessels, I think, require multiple doses," he said. "In the acute patients, especially in peripheral graft rejection, it works like magic."