The effect of subconjunctival ranibizumab on primary pterygium: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
A prospective interventional pilot study was performed to estimate the effect of ranibizumab injection on the clinical and histological picture of primary pterygium.


METHODS
Five patients with primary pterygia received a single subconjunctival injection of ranibizumab (0.3 mg), whereas 5 nontreated pterygia served as controls. The treated pterygia were surgically removed 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months after the injection, respectively. Digital photographs of the pterygia were taken immediately before injection, 1 week after, and on the day of operation.


RESULTS
Ranibizumab was well tolerated by all patients, and no side effects were reported. However, it had no effect on the extent of vascularization of pterygium, regardless of the interval between injection and operation. No regression of pterygium vessels was noted in any of the patients. Immunohistochemical analysis also showed no particular differences in the number of vessels stained positive for vascular endothelial growth factor A, in the intensity of vessel staining among the treated pterygia, and between the treated and the nontreated pterygia.


CONCLUSIONS
Subconjunctival ranibizumab at a single dose of 0.3 mg was not associated with any side effects but had no effect on the extent of vascularization of primary pterygium in our study.
Mandalos
Achilleas
A
2nd Ophthalmology Clinic, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece. mandalosa@yahoo.gr
Tsakpinis
Dimitrios
D
Karayannopoulou
Georgia
G
Tsinopoulos
Ioannis
I
Karkavelas
Georgios
G
Chalvatzis
Nikolaos
N
Dimitrakos
Stavros
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010781:Photography; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011625:Pterygium / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab