Avastin for uveitic macular edema: one-year follow-up Intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab) proved effective in treating refractory uveitic macular edema, according to a study.

"Uveitis is a major cause of ocular morbidity in developed countries," the study authors said. "It has been demonstrated that macular edema is a significant cause of decreased visual acuity in these patients."

The retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series included 29 eyes of 27 patients who underwent treatment and 1-year follow-up. The group included 13 patients who received a single Avastin injection, six patients who received a second injection and 10 patients who received combination intravitreal Avastin and triamcinolone acetonide.

Mean logMAR visual acuity was –0.59 at baseline and –0.42 at 1 year (P = .0045). Mean central macular thickness was 383.66 µm at baseline and 294.32 µm at 1 year (P = .0007).

The investigators conclude that intravitreal Avastin is a useful and therapeutically beneficial agent in the treatment of refractory uveitic macular edema. They point out that some patients will require combination therapy with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide. This is consistent with a recent study that found Lucentis is effective for uveitis-related macular edema.

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Eur J Ophthalmol. 2009 Jul-Aug;19(4):622-9