Abstract
Purpose :
Although previous studies have shown a regression in corneal neovascularization (CoNV) after intrastromal bevacizumab injection, more efficient or alternative treatment options are still needed and the effect of intrastromal aflibercept injection on CoNV in humans has not been studied. We performed a retrospective, observational clinical study to investigate the effect of a single intrastromal injection of aflibercept on eyes with CoNV.
Methods :
This retrospective study included 17 eyes of 17 patients with CoNV who underwent intrastromal injection of a single dose aflibercept (Eylea 40 mg/mL) at a single institution. 0.1 mL of aflibercept was administered into the stromal areas with apparent neovascularization (NV) by allocating the dose to each quadrant with NV until the observation of stromal whitening (max. 0.025 mL/quadrant). Slit lamp photography, best corrected visual acuity, and intraocular pressure of patients was recorded. The ratio of CoNV area to the entire corneal area was calculated using ImageJ by a masked observer. The examination findings of the patients 30 and 60 days after injection were compared to those at the baseline visit.
Results :
Among 17 patients with CoNV, 15 patients (88.2%) were male and 2 (11.8%) were female. Four patients (23.5%) had a history of penetrating keratoplasty. The mean age of the patients was 52.9±12.1 years. The mean CoNV area (37.0±18.1%) decreased significantly 30 days (25.3±14.6%, p=0.0.18) and 60 days after aflibercept injection (21.4±14.3%, p<0.001). No significant systemic or ocular adverse events were observed during the follow-up.
Conclusions :
Within the limitation of this retrospective study, a single dose of intrastromal aflibercept injection provided a significant reduction in the CoNV. However, further prospective randomized controlled trials with a longer follow-up period are needed for extending the results of this study.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.