Short-term topical bevacizumab in the treatment of stable corneal neovascularization

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical bevacizumab in the treatment of corneal neovascularization. Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series. Methods: setting: Institutional, multicenter clinical trial. study population: Twenty eyes from 20 patients with stable corneal neovascularization. intervention procedures: Patients were treated with topical 1.0% bevacizumab for 3 weeks and were monitored for a total of 24 weeks. main outcome measures: Primary outcome measures included: neovascular area, defined as the area of the corneal vessels themselves; vessel caliber, defined as the mean corneal vessel diameter; and invasion area, defined as the fraction of the total cornea into which the vessels extended. The occurrence of ocular and systemic adverse events was monitored closely. Results: As compared with the baseline visit, patients exhibited a statistically significant improvement in neovascular area by week 6 (P =.007) and in vessel caliber by week 12 (P =.006). At the final visit, neovascular area, vessel caliber, and invasion area were reduced by 47.5%, 36.2%, and 20%, respectively. The decreases in neovascular area and vessel caliber were statistically significant (P