Abstract
Purpose :
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are now ubiquitous and routinely performed. However, there have been animal studies that suggested that anti-VEGF antibodies impaired corneal nerve plexus regeneration in injured mice corneas. While intravitreal injection of ranibizumab antibody molecules were not found to be associated with significant changes to central corneal sensation, it is unclear whether other anti-VEGF antibody molecules could have a similar effect. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of bevacizumab and aflibercept intravitreal injections on both central and peripheral corneal sensation.
Methods :
In a cross-sectional observational IRB-approved clinical study, we tested corneal sensation using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer in 5 standard locations (centrally and in the temporal, superior, nasal and inferior areas of the cornea) in eyes that received either bevacizumab or both bevacizumab and aflibercept, as well as in control eyes. Sensation was measured at clinic follow-up after the last injection for the study eyes, with those fellow eyes that had never received injections serving as controls. Two-tailed Student’s t-test was used for statistical analysis.
Results :
The average corneal sensation in the bevacizumab group (n=14) was 5.41 ± 0.81 cm, 5.35 ± 1.04 cm, 5.38 ± 1.04 cm, 5.35 ± 1.03 cm, and 5.15 ± 1.03 cm in the temporal, superior, nasal, inferior, and central areas respectively. These were not significantly different from those observed in control eyes (n=12, p>0.05). The average corneal sensation in the combined bevacizumab and aflibercept group (n=5) was 5.50 ± 0.87 cm, 5.40 ± 1.08 cm, 5.50 ± 1.12 cm, 5.50 ± 1.12 cm, and 5.50 ± 1.12 cm in the temporal, superior, nasal, inferior, and central areas respectively. Similarly, the corneal sensitivities in these eyes were not significantly different from those observed in control eyes (p>0.05).
Conclusions :
The administration of intravitreal bevacizumab or bevacizumab and aflibercept does not significantly alter either central or peripheral corneal sensation when compared to control eyes.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.