The Effect of Topical Bevacizumab on Corneal Neovascularization
Received 16 September 2007; received in revised form 24 January 2008; accepted 15 February 2008. published online 24 April 2008.
Purpose
To examine the effect of topical bevacizumab on corneal neovascularization (NV) over a period of 3 months.
Design
Prospective, nonrandomized, masked observational case series.
Participants
Ten eyes of 7 patients with corneal NV.
Methods
Patients received topical bevacizumab (1.25%) twice daily. Ophthalmic evaluations included visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, and tonometry.
Main Outcome Measures
Corneal NV and changes in ophthalmic evaluations.
Results
Decreased corneal NV was noted in 7 of 10 eyes, usually within 1 month of treatment. Epitheliopathy (epithelial defect, epithelial erosion) was observed in 6 of 10 eyes, 1 resulting in corneal thinning. Adverse effects generally appeared during the second month of treatment.
Conclusions
Topical application of bevacizumab was effective in reducing corneal NV within the first month. However, by the second month there was an increased risk of adverse effects.
Available online: April 23, 2008.
1Corneal Dystrophy Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
2BK21 Project Team of Nanobiomaterials for Cell-based Implants, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
3Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Correspondence to Tae-im Kim, MD, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, #250 Sungsanno, Seodaemun-gu, 120-752, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Manuscript no. 2007-1206.
The authors have no conflicts of interest related to the article.
This study was supported by Korean Research Foundation grant 2006-KRF-531-E00121.
ABSTRACT