Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) injection as primary treatment of inflammatory choroidal neovascularization

Objective: To assess the effects of intravitreal bevacizurnab injection as primary treatment of inflammatory choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: Data for nine consecutive patients with newly diagnosed inflammatory CNV who were treated with intravitreal bevacizurnab (1.25 mg) injection were reviewed retrospectively. Main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity, foveal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and complete resolution of CNV. Results: CNV resolved completely in 9 (100%) of 9 affected eyes. At the last examination, visual acuity was improved in 8 eyes (88.8%), stable in 1 (11.2%), and worse in 0. Over a mean follow-up of 7.1 months (range, 6 -10 months), 7 eyes received 1 injection, 1 eye developed CNV recurrence and required a second injection, and 1 eye required a third injection. Foveal thickness by OCT decreased significantly (P = 0.049) after treatment. Conclusion: In this small case series of eyes with limited follow-up, intravitreal bevacizumab injection for treatment of inflammatory CNV was found to be safe and was associated with favorable visual outcomes for both subfoveal and juxtafoveal or extrafoveal inflammatory CNV.