Intravitreal Bevacizumab (Avastin) Injection in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate and report the effectiveness, visual, anatomical, and clinical outcome of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) injection in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Methods: Our prospective study included 13 eyes of 7 patients (4 women and 3 men) in the age range of 25–69 years (mean 44.14 years) with cystoid macular edema (CME) secondary to RP. Intravitreal bevacizumab at a dose of 1.25 mg/0.05 ml was injected via a 28-gauge needle. The response rate to treatment was monitored functionally by visual acuity assessment and anatomically using the optical coherence tomography. Results: The baseline mean central macular thickness was 370.15 μ m (range 245–603 μ m. The central macular thickness decreased to 142.53 μ m (range 124–168 μ m) after bevacizumab injections. The pre- and post-treatment visual acuity ranges were 5/400–20/100 and 20/200–20/63, respectively. Conclusions: Our data reveal that intravitreal bevacizumab administration is effective for the treatment of CME in RP. Further studies with a larger population and longer follow-up period are warranted to assess the efficacy of the treatment.