This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on ISI (12)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Retinal/ Chorioretinal Disorders  • Radiation Therapy  • Drug Therapy  • Drug Therapy, Other  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Paul T. Finger, MD; Kimberly Chin, OD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125(6):751-756.

Objective  To evaluate intravitreal bevacizumab for radiation retinopathy.

Methods  After plaque radiation therapy, 6 patients developed radiation retinopathy (retinal edema, hemorrhages, microangiopathy, and neovascularization). Intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg in 0.05 mL) was periodically injected (every 6-8 weeks). Ophthalmic evaluations included visual acuity, ophthalmic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography/scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (OCT/SLO) imaging.

Results  No bevacizumab-related ocular or systemic adverse effects have occurred within the first 8 months of therapy. Progressive reductions in retinal hemorrhages, exudates, cotton-wool spots, and microangiopathy were documented by photography, angiography, and OCT/SLO imaging. Decreased macular edema was the most common finding. Improvement or stabilization of visual acuity was noted in all cases.

Conclusions  Intravitreal bevacizumab was tolerated, improved or maintained vision, and reduced hemorrhage and retinal edema (angiographic leakage). This study should lead to additional and longer-term studies of humanized monoclonal anti–vascular endothelial growth factor antibody therapy for radiation retinopathy.

Author Affiliations: The New York Eye Cancer Center, New York (Drs Finger and Chin), and The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York (Dr Finger).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?