Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on retinal neovascularization (RN) in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).
Methods :
Retrospective multicenter interventional case series. Clinical records of 81 consecutive patients (97 eyes) with RN due to PDR who received at least one intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) were included. Patients examination included measurement of best-corrected Snellen visual acuity (BCVA), ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at baseline and follow-up visits.
Results :
The mean age of patients was 55.6±11.6 years. The mean number of IVB injections per eye was 4±2.5 (range, 1 to 7 injections). The mean interval between IVB applications was 3.5±3.3 months. Sixty two (63.9%) eyes showed total regression of RN on fundus examination with absence of fluorescein leakage, 26 (26.8 %) eyes demonstrated partial regression of RN and 9 (9.3%) eyes had no regression. The mean duration of follow-up was 29.6±2 months (range, 24 to 30 months). BCVA and OCT improved statistically signficantly (p<0.0001, both comparisons). Three eyes without previous PRP ('naive' eyes) and with vitreous hemorrhage did not require vitreoretinal surgery. Five (5.2%) eyes with PDR progressed to tractional retinal detachment requiring vitrectomy, and 1 (1%) eye had vitreous hemorrhage with increased intraocular pressure (ghost cell glaucoma). No systemic adverse events were noted.
Conclusions :
IVB resulted in marked regression of RN in patients with PDR and previous PRP. In a subgroup of eyes with no previous laser, only 42.1% achieved control or regression of PDR with IVB injections during 24 months of follow up without necessity of adjunctive laser or vitrectomy. There were no safety concerns over 2 years follow up of IVB for PDR.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.