ROLE OF TOPICAL BEVACIZUMAB IN PREVENTION OF PTERYGIUM RECURRENCE AFTER SURGERY

Emad A. Saliem*, MD and Ahmed G. Elmahdy, MD.

ABSTRACT

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of topical Bevacizumab 0.05% for treatment of 1ry pterygium and to detect the rate of recurrence after excision. Patients and Methods: This study included sixty eyes of 60 patients (37 males and 23 females) with primary pterygia. Thirty patients were considered as a control group (group A), received only topical antibiotic and steroid treatment for 1 month after pterygium excision with bare sclera technique, while the remaining thirty patient (group B) had received additional topical Bevacizumab 0.05% instillation for one month postoperatively. All patients were followed up for 6 months. During this period, the main outcome measures were corneal neovascularization, pterygium recurrence, and other postoperative complications. Results: The postoperative results revealed that after 6 months of follow-up: in (group A) there were 4 eyes (13.33%) showed recurrence which was not statistically significance different from group B which recorded 2 eyes recurrence (6.66%) P=0.4511 (>0.05). There were corneal neovascularization in 23 eyes (76.66%) in group A which was statistically significance different from group B which were 10 eyes (33.33%) P=0.018 (<0.05). Conclusion: Topical Bevacizumab for 1 month after surgical excision of pterygium with bare sclera technique is well tolerated and effective to prevent vascularization and reducing the recurrence rate after pterygium excision as it reduces the vascular element of the pterygium.

Keywords: Bevacizumab, pterygium.