The effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) on ocular pulse amplitude in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Ehud Rechtman1, Ingeborg Stalmans2, Joseph Glovinsky1, Christophe Breusegem2, Joseph Moisseiev1, Joachim Van Calster2, Alon Harris31Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel; 2Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USAPurpose: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal (IVT) bevacizumab in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on global choroidal hemodynamics, as measured by ocular pulse amplitude (OPA).Methods: This was a two-center prospective study (Sheba Medical Center, Israel, and University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium). AMD patients who required IVT bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL; first or repeated) were examined three times: at days 0 (prior to injection), 7 (±3), and 28 (±7) postinjection. At each visit, OPAs of both eyes were measured using the Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (DCT). A paired t-test between preoperative and postoperative OPA was conducted. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the influence of various measured parameters on DCT–OPA.Results: A total of 38 neovascular AMD patients were recruited, and 30 patients were included in the final analysis (18 females and 12 males; age 78.8 ± 5.82 years [mean ± standard deviation]). A good correlation was found throughout the study between the DCT–intraocular pressure (IOP) and Goldmann IOP and between DCT–IOP and DCT–OPA. No change in OPA of bevacizumab-treated eyes was found between the visits (2.24 ± 0.73, 2.2 ± 0.86, and 2.23 ± 0.73 mm Hg at visits 1, 2, and 3, respectively; paired t-test: P = 0.77 between visits 1 and 2, P = 0.98 between visits 1 and 3). No correlations were found between DCT–OPA and age, heart rate, systemic blood pressure, axial length, keratometry readings, and central corneal thickness.Conclusions: OPA, an indirect measure of global choroidal hemodynamics, remains unchanged following IVT off-label bevacizumab. This finding adds to the growing evidence regarding the safety profile of bevacizumab in AMD treatment.Keywords: macular degeneration, choroid, blood flow, ocular pulse amplitude, bevacizumab