• Miltiadis Papathanassiou, Panagiotis G Theodossiadis, Vasilios S Liarakos, Alexandros Rouvas, Evaggelos J Giamarellos-Bourboulis, and Ioannis A Vergados.
• ATTIKON University Hospital, 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. mpapathanassiou@yahoo.com
• Am. J. Ophthalmol. 2008 Mar 1;145(3):424-431.

PurposeTo evaluate the effect of subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab on experimentally induced corneal neovascularization.DesignExperimental animal study.MethodsTwelve New Zealand white rabbits were involved, divided equally into four groups. Only one eye per rabbit was used. Topical instillation of 10 microl 5% NaOH solution was used, under general anesthesia, to induce corneal neovascularization secondary to corneal alkali burn in groups 2, 3, and 4. A single dose of 3.75 mg (25 mg/ml) bevacizumab was injected subconjunctivally. Group 1 (control group 1) was neither cauterized nor treated. Group 2 (control group 2) received a sham injection of balanced salt solution on day 14. Group 3 was treated on day 14 (after corneal neovascularization had been established). Group 4 was treated on day 1. Digital photographs were obtained and analyzed during the entire 28-day procedure. The area of neovascularization and scarring were measured in terms of the percentage of corneal surface affected.ResultsOn day 28, the difference of neovascularization between groups 2, 3, and 4 was found to be statistically significant at the .05 level (one-way analysis of variance [ANOVA]): group 4 (4.7%+/-3.1%).1, one-way ANOVA). No side effects were noted.ConclusionsSubconjunctival administration of bevacizumab inhibits corneal neovascularization effectively in the rabbit experimental model, especially if administered early.

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