Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

« Back to Farmacia Journal 3/2016

EVALUATION OF THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR MACULAR EDEMA RELATED TO RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION

CALIN PETRU TATARU1,2, RALUCA IANCU1,3*, ANCA DOGAROIU2, CAMELIA DIACONU4, CATALINA CORBU1,2

1.UMF “Carol Davila”, Ophthalmology Department, 8 Eroilor Sanitari, 050474, Bucharest, Romania
2.Emergency Eye Hospital, 1 Al. Lahovary Square, Bucharest, Romania
3.University Emergency Hospital Bucharest, 169 Splaiul Independentei, 050098, Bucharest, Romania
4.Internal Medicine Clinic, Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, 8 Calea Floreasca, 014461, Bucharest, Romania

Download Full Article PDF

This study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab used as an off-label intravitreal drug in patients with macular oedema (ME) secondary to branch and central retinal vein occlusion. This was a prospective, non-randomized cohort study which comprised 64 patients: 36 patients with macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), and secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in 28 patients, who were treated primarily with intravitreal bevacizumab 1.25 mg/0.05 mL. During the minimum 6-months follow-up period, patients were examined after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post--injection. The main outcome measures included: visual acuity, central macular thickness measured by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and recurrence. At 6-months follow-up the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) increased statistically significant when compared with preoperative values in both groups (p = 0.0024 for the BRVO group and p = 0.02 for the CRVO group). The most significant central macular thickness (CMT) improvement was achieved at 1 month follow up post-IVB. For the BRVO patients, baseline CMT was 362.7 ± 123 μm and at 1 month follow up CMT was 247.2 ± 114.1 μm. For the CRVO patients, baseline CMT was 424.0 ± 165.1 μm and at 1 month follow up CMT was 288.2 ± 58.7 μm. In the BRVO group, macular oedema recurred in 19.4% of the patients (7 patients) and for the CRVO group in 28.5% (8 patients). Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab for ME secondary to BRVO or CRVO was effective and generally safe in the first 6 months post-injection.