Primary effects of intravitreal bevacizumab in patients with diabetic macular edema

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the efficacy of primary intra vitreal bevacizumab [IVB] injection on macular edema in diabetic patients with improvement in best corrected visual acuity [BCVA] and central macular thickness [CMT] on optical coherence tomography [OCT]. This prospective interventional case series study was conducted at Retina Clinic, Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital, and Isra Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology Karachi. Between December 2010 to June 2012. BCVA measurement with Early Treatment in Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] charts and ophthalmic examination, including Slit-lamp bio microscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, Fundus fluorescein angiography [FFA] and OCT were done at the base line examination. At monthly interval all patients were treated with 3 injections of 0.05 ml intra vitreal injection containing 1.25 mg bevacizumab. Patients were followed up for 6 months and BCVA and OCT were taken at the final visit at 6 month. The mean BCVA at base line was 0.42 +/- 0.14 Log Mar units. This improved to 0.34 +/- 0.13, 0.25 +/- 0.12, 0.17 +/- 0.12 and 0.16 +/- 0.14 Log Mar units at 1 month after 1[st], 2[nd] 3[rd] injections and at final visit at 6 months respectively, a difference that was statistically significant [P > 0.0001] from base line. The mean 1mm CMT measurement was 452.9 +/- 143.1 microm at base line, improving to 279.8 +/- 65.2 microm [P < 0.0001] on final visit. No serious complications were observed. Primary IVB at a dose of 1.25 mg on monthly interval seems to provide stability and improvement in BCVA and CMT in patient with DME