Abstract
Purpose :
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) intravitreal injections (IVIs) are the gold-standard treatment for common retinal disorders. However, they have been associated with increased IOP which can increase a patient’s risk for developing glaucoma. In addition to IOP, we can use corneal hysteresis (CH), an indicator of the cornea's ability to absorb and dampen the impact of intraocular pressure fluctuations, to provide further insight into corneal biomechanics. This longitudinal study aims to investigate the relationship between the number of anti-VEGF IVIs received and CH in patients undergoing treatment for diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and neovascular AMD (nAMD).
Methods :
IOP and CH measurements were conducted prior to IVI administration using the Reichert Ocular Analyzer in 46 eyes at initial and follow up visits to compare the change in CH over time. Of the 46 eyes, 26 received IVIs while 20 did not, serving as our control group. Participants were >18 years old with a diagnosis of nAMD (10 patients; 11 eyes), RVO (6 patients; 8 eyes) and DR (7 patients; 7 eyes). The average time elapsed in months between the first and last injections was 7.92, with a standard deviation of 3.77 and a range from 0.95 to 12.12.
Results :
The mean number of IVIs administered between the initial and final CH measurements and their standard deviations were calculated for each diagnosis: AMD (mean = 3.36, SD = 1.63), RVO (mean = 4, SD = 1.98), DR (mean = 2, SD = 1.29). Statistical testing revealed no change in CH over the time-period for any condition and no correlation between number of injections and difference in CH.
Conclusions :
Our study did not identify a significant relationship between IVIs and CH. Future research that follows a larger sample size over a longer period of time may elucidate the potential impact of anti-VEGF treatment on CH. A nuanced understanding of the complex interactions between IVIs and ocular biomechanics in patients with retinal disorders may improve efficacy and safety of these treatments.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.