title: Treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy with anti-VEGF agents.
abstract: Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is the most common cause of severe visual loss in people with diabetes. Although panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) remains the gold standard of care to date, several combinations of new treatment modalities have emerged. These approaches can be used to increase the extent of treatment, expedite the effect of laser treatment and provide alternate measures when laser delivery is difficult or impossible, especially in patients with vitreous haemorrhage. Currently, most of the research in this field is focussed on inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), referred to herein as anti-VEGF agents. Although limited by their short-lived effects and a lack of established protocols, anti-VEGF agents are widely available, especially for the treatment of aggressive PDR. This review analyses published studies using anti-VEGF agents alone or as an adjunct to other therapies in the treatment of PDR.
authors.affiliation: Laser and Retinal Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, King's College Hospital NHS foundation trust, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
authors.forename: Aysha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salam
authors.forename: Raeba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.forename: Sobha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivaprasad
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C495058:pegaptanib; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab