Abstract
Purpose:
To determine the rate of intraocular hemorrhage following intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection among patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) taking systemic anticoagulant medication(s) at the time of injection versus patients with AMD not taking systemic anticoagulation.
Methods:
Retrospective consecutive case series of all patients treated with anti-VEGF injection for the treatment of neovascular AMD at the Penn State Hershey Eye Center in 2004-2010. The study included 1710 anti-VEGF injections performed in 228 eyes of 191 patients. Each injection was analyzed according to whether or not the patient was taking systemic anticoagulant medication(s) at the time of injection.
Results:
Intraocular hemorrhage occurred following intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in 4 eyes (0.25%). Vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 3 patients taking systemic anticoagulation. Subretinal hemorrhage occurred in 1 patient not on anticoagulant therapy. The odds of intraocular hemorrhage were 1.9 times higher for injections performed in patients on systemic anticoagulation compared to injections performed in patients not on systemic anticoagulation; this difference is not statistically significant (odds ratio=1.9; 95% CI [0.2, 18.5]; p-value=0.56).
Conclusions:
The rate of intraocular hemorrhage following intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF therapy among patients with AMD is low and there is no significant difference between patients taking systemic anticoagulant medication(s) at the time of injection versus patients not on anticoagulation.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration •
561 injection