Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single intravitreal bevacizumab injection as primary treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).
Methods: :
Thirty three eyes (32 patients) with DME received a single injection of intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL). Visual acuity and central macular thickness (CMT) measured by optical coherence tomography were evaluated at baseline and follow-up visits. Mean follow-up was 5 months (range, 3-12).
Results: :
Best-corrected visual acuity improved in 8 eyes (24.2%), remained stable in 15 eyes (45.5%), and decreased in 10 eyes (30.3%). Mean CMT at baseline was 560 +/- 147 µm and decreased to a mean of 464 +/- 208 µm. The CMT remained unchanged in 11 eyes (33.4%). No systemic or ocular adverse events were observed.
Conclusions: :
One single injection of intravitreal bevacizumab at dose of 1.25 mg can reduce CMT in some eyes, with or without subsequent improvement in visual acuity. This therapeutic modality appears to be less effective than intravitreal triamcinolone in the short term management of DME in terms of CMT reduction and visual acuity improvement.
Keywords: diabetic retinopathy • macula/fovea • vascular endothelial growth factor