Intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept in the treatment of choroidal and retinal vascular diseases

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the short-term outcomes after intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept in the treatment of choroidal and retinal vascular diseases. Methods: Thirty-four eyes of 29 patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) received a single dose intravitreal injection of 0.05 ml ziv-aflibercept (1.25 mg). Visual acuity, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) activity, and possible side effects were assessed before and at 1 week and 1 month after the intervention. Results: At 1 month after treatment, mean central macular thickness (CMT) significantly decreased from 531.09 μm to 339.5 μm (P < 0.001), and no signs of side effects were observed in any subject. All patients responded to treatment in terms of reduction in CMT. The improvement in visual acuity was statistically non-significant. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a single dose intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept may have acceptable relative safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with intraocular vascular disease.The trial was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT2015081723651N1). Keywords: Ziv-aflibercept, Age-related macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, Retinal vein occlusion