ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To observe the tolerance of repeated intravitreous injections over the short and long term and to analyze their complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical records of consecutive patients having one or several intravitreous injections between 2002 and 2007 were evaluated, for all indications except the treatment of endophthalmitis. RESULTS: 2028 intravitreous injections were performed, mainly for age-related macular degeneration (n=1 192) or macular edema secondary to diabetes mellitus or retinal vein occlusion (n=41). The injected drug was triamcinolone acetonide 4 mg (339 injections), pegaptanib sodium 0.3 mg (1179 injections), and ranibizumab 0.3 (497 injections). The patients received 1-27 intravitreous injections per eye. The main complications were endophthalmitis (two after triamcinolone, 0.1% of the total group), pseudoendophthalmitis (two after triamcinolone, 0.1% of the total group), hypertony (7.69% of the total group, 13.78% after triamcinolone, 3.56% after pegaptanib, 1.21% after ranibizumab), including five cases of acute hypertony with transient light perception loss after ranibizumab, cataract (0.44% of total group), and macular hole (one patient after triamcinolone). No case of retinal detachment nor systemic complication was observed. DISCUSSION: Most of the complications were observed with the use of nonfiltered triamcinolone. The incidence of endophtalmitis was considerably lower with increased experience and the use of a dedicated room for the injections. Repeated injections were locally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: With the strict respect of asepsis rules, intravitreous injection seems well tolerated over the short and long term.
