The Effects of a Subtenoncapsular Injection of Bevacizumab for Ocular Surface Disease With Corneal Neovascularization

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of an injection of bevacizumab into the sub-Tenon's capsule on ocular surface neovascularization disease including pterygium and corneal neovascularization. METHODS: Twenty-five eyes of 21 patients with pterygium and 19 eyes of 15 patients with corneal neovascularization were given an injection of 5 mg bevacizumab into the sub-Tenon's capsule. The clinical effects and complications were evaluated by analyzing the changes in anterior segment photo, visual acuity, and intraocular pressure at week one, week two, week four, and every month thereafter. RESULTS: After injections of bevacizumab, partial remission of corneal neovascularized lesion was observed in five eyes (20%) of the pterygium group, and there were no significant changes in the visual acuity and no complications. In the corneal neovascularization group, corneal neovascularized lesions of 18 eyes (95% 2 eyes, complete remission 16 eyes, partial remission) improved after injections of the bevacizumab and the scores of extent and severity of corneal neovascularized lesion improved significantly, unlike the pterygium group. The visual acuity of two eyes (11%) improved more than two lines of Yong-Han Jin's distance visual acuity test and there were no systemic side effects. Localized side effects included four eyes (21%) with punctate epithelial erosions and two eyes (11%) with temporary, elevated intraocular pressure in the corneal neovascularization group. The side effects improved without any additional treatment. CONCLUSIONS: An injection of bevacizumab into the sub-Tenon's capsule is more effective in fresh lesions of corneal neovascularization disease than in old and stable lesions of pterygium. Therefore, it could be used as a prominent treatment of various corneal neovascularization diseases.