title: Effect of Intravitreal Injection of Methotrexate on Human Corneal Endothelial Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the toxic effect of intravitreal methotrexate on human corneal endothelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective noncomparative interventional case series, intravitreal injection of 400 μg methotrexate was performed in eyes with persistent diabetic macular edema. Corneal endothelial cell analyses and central corneal thickness measurements were performed before and 1, 3, and 6 months after injections, using noncontact specular microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty one eyes of 18 patients with a mean age of 60.5 ± 6.8 years were evaluated. No statistically significant difference was found in endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation, average cell area, hexagonality, and central corneal thickness measurements before and after injections (P = 0.70, 0.39, 0.43, 0.64, and 0.67, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this 6-month follow-up study, intravitreal injection of 400 μg methotrexate had no significant effect on corneal endothelial cell measurements performed by specular microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Eye Research Center, Rassoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghasemi Falavarjani
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golabi
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadavandkhani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D055954:Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008727:Methotrexate