Short-term complications of intravitreal injections of triamcinolone and bevacizumab.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the rate of complications after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and triamcinolone.


METHODS
The clinical interventional case-series study included 5403 intravitreal injections of about 20 mg triamcinolone acetonide (n=1588) or 1.5 mg bevacizumab (n=3818) consecutively performed in the period from 2000 to 2007 by three surgeons for treatment of various intraocular edematous or neovascular diseases. Follow-up after each injection was at least 4 weeks.


RESULTS
An infectious endophthalmitis which necessitated pars plana vitrectomy was detected in two eyes (2/5403 or 0.04+/-0.03%) from the bevacizumab group. Two eyes (2/5403 or 0.04+/-0.03%) from the bevacizumab group showed a painless vitreous clouding which subsided after intensified topical antibiotic therapy; one eye (1/5403 or 0.02+/-0.02%) developed a retinal detachment; and three eyes (3/5403 or 0.06+/-0.03%) (two eyes from the bevacizumab group) showed a rapidly progressive cataract. The total rate of these complications was 8/5403 (0.15+/-0.05%). It was statistically independent of the surgeon (P=0.18), the drug injected (P=0.45), and the age of the patients (P=0.87).


CONCLUSIONS
Injection-related complications such as infectious endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, and traumatic cataract may occur with a frequency of about 0.15+/-0.05% after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab or triamcinolone, independently of the drug injected.
Jonas
J B
JB
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany. Jost.Jonas@augen.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Spandau
U H
UH
Schlichtenbrede
F
F
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000209:etiology; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000009:adverse effects; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide