Macular ischemia following intravitreal bevacizumab therapy for diabetic macular edema

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of macular ischemia after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in patients with diabetic macular edema(DME). METHODS: Thirty-three eyes of 33 patients with DME were treated with IVB. Fluorescein angiography (FA) was conducted before and 3 months after IVB, the pretreatment sizes of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) calculated by FA were compared to the values at 3 months after IVB. This study was approved by the Chiba University Hospital Clinical Research Ethics Committee. RESULTS: After IVB, the size of the FAZ enlarged significantly (p = 0.03). Among the 33 patients treated with IVB, 2 patients (6%) had advanced macular ischemia with an FAZ enlarged by 50% or more. In both patients, the visual acuity did not worsen and the foveal thickness decreased. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that IVB led to macular ischemia.