Anterior Segment Complications Following Intravitreal Injection.

Intravitreal injections (IVI s) have gained increased popularity in the past decades and are used to treat a multitude of ailments. In 2010, the total number of IVI s surpassed the number of cataract surgeries performed, making it the most common procedure in ophthalmology. As the number of injections increases, so does the number of injected-related complications. While complications in the posterior segment, such as retinal detachment or endophthalmitis, are detrimental to visual function and have therefore been well documented, IVI s can also lead to complications in the anterior segment. These include hyphema, inflammation of the sterile anterior segment (incidence rate of 0.05 to 1.1% depending on the drug), implant migration with corneal decompensation (incidence rate of 0.43%), iatrogenic lens damage (incidence rate of 0.07%), accelerated cataract formation (up to 50% for steroids and 10.9% for anti-VEGF), and an increased complication rate during subsequent cataract surgery (up to 4% per IVI). Most of these complications occur immediately and have a good prognosis if treated correctly. However, the increased risk of complications during subsequent surgery demonstrates that IVI s can also have long-term complications, a topic that needs to be explored further in future research projects.

Posterior vitreous attachment as a risk factor for endophthalmitis following intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the importance of the status of posterior vitreous in eyes with endophthalmitis following intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF). METHODS: The absence or existence of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) was elicited in 23 eyes of 23 patients with injection related endophthalmitis, during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and compared with 24 control eyes of 24 patients who received intravitreal anti-VEGF without any complication. RESULTS: Thirtten (54.2%) out of 24 patients in the control group had full PVD, whereas only 2 (9.5%) out of 23 eyes in endophthalmitis group (p < 0.001) had full PVD. In all eyes without PVD, posterior vitreous was inducted to be detached at least from optic nerve and macular area without any iatrogenic tear. CONCLUSION: The absence of PVD is a factor that increases the risk of endophthalmitis after intravitreal injections. Uncomplicated separation of the posterior vitreous from the retina in PPV contributes to better prognosis.

Incidence of Blepharoptosis Following Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Injections.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of blepharoptosis after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections and compare the rates of blepharoptosis between patients injected with an eyelid speculum and those injected without a speculum. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), codes were used to identify patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and those who developed ptosis after intravitreal injections. Patients with nonexudative AMD who did not receive intravitreal injections served as controls. The outcomes were the incidence of ptosis in the injection group compared to the noninjection group and incidence of ptosis in patients whose injections were performed with an eyelid speculum as compared to those whose injections were performed without a speculum. RESULTS: We recruited 1100 exudative AMD patients who received at least 1 intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and 2258 nonexudative AMD patients who had not received an injection. In the injection group, 18 of 1100 patients (1.6%) developed ptosis, compared with 52 of 2258 patients (2.3%) in the noninjection group (P = .25). Within the injection group, ptosis was mostly bilateral, diagnosed on average 22.4 months after the initial injection, and after more than a 1-year injection-free period. Eleven of 537 patients (2.0%) injected without a speculum developed ptosis, compared with 8 of 444 patients (1.8%) injected with a speculum (P = .82). CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant differences in incidence rates of ptosis were observed. In this analysis, neither intravitreal anti-VEGF injections nor speculum use during injections appears to increase the risk of ptosis.

PATIENT-PHYSICIAN FACE MASKING'S INFLUENCE ON THE POST-INTRAVITREAL INJECTION ENDOPHTHALMITIS.

PURPOSE: The authors sought to determine if universal face mask guidelines implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic significantly influenced the incidence of endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections (IVI). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study reviewed the electronic health records from a retina-only practice located in Michigan. This study evaluated patients receiving IVIs over two distinct time periods of April 2019 to March 2020 and April 2020 to March 2021, which comprised our unmasked and masked groups, respectively. The authors then calculated the incidence of endophthalmitis following IVI and evaluated the cases of post-injection endophthalmitis for both time periods. RESULTS: A total of 121,384 IVIs performed over the 2-year period of interest. Of these, 63,114 were unmasked and 58,270 were masked patient encounters. A total of 46 post-injection endophthalmitis cases were identified. Of these, 29 cases were from the unmasked period and 17 were from the masked period. This resulted in an incidence of endophthalmitis of 0.046% and 0.038% in the masked and unmasked groups, respectively. This difference did not rise to the level of statistical significance ( P = 0.1336). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the incidence of post-injection endophthalmitis was not influenced by the implementation of ophthalmologist-patient face masking after IVI during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

[Lens injury as a complication of intravitreal medication injection]. / Linsenverletzungen als Komplikation bei intravitrealer Medikamenteneingabe.

BACKGROUND: Intravitreal medication injections are an efficient and low-risk delivery technique for treating various retinal diseases. Rare serious complications include increased intraocular pressure, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal tears and detachment, intraocular inflammation and endophthalmitis. In the case series presented here, we report iatrogenic lens injuries caused by inadequate performance of intravitreal injections. METHODS: A multicenter data collection of patients treated with intravitreal injections with visible iatrogenic lens defects from 2016 to 2023 was retrospectively performed. RESULTS: Lens trauma after intravitreal injections was identified in six cases (69.3±6.5 years). While five cases were observed after anti-VEGF therapy, we identified lens injury after dexamethasone implantation in one patient. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic lens injury during intravitreal injection is preventable with the correct injection technique. Knowledge of individual axis length and lens status also helps to avoid this complication.

NO EFFECT OF REAL-WORLD UNIVERSAL FACE MASKING ON POST-INTRAVITREAL INJECTION ENDOPHTHALMITIS RATE AT A SINGLE TERTIARY ACADEMIC CENTER.

PURPOSE: To determine whether universal masking during COVID-19 altered rate and outcomes of postinjection endophthalmitis. METHODS: Retrospective, single-site, comparative, cohort study. Eyes diagnosed with endophthalmitis within 4 weeks of intravitreal injection at the University of Michigan from August 1, 2012, to November 15, 2022, were identified. Cases were considered "masking" between March 15, 2020, and November 15, 2022. Endophthalmitis rate, visual acuity, and microbial spectrum were investigated. RESULTS: There were 20 postinjection endophthalmitis cases out of 72,194 injections (0.028%; one in 3,571 injections) premasking and 10 of 38,962 with universal masking (0.026%; one in 3,846 injections; odds ratio 0.9; 95% [confidence interval]: 0.4-2.0). Referral from the community was unchanged with 32 cases referred premasking (0.35 cases/month) and 10 cases with masking (0.31 cases/month). Presenting mean the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity with masking of all postinjection endophthalmitis cases trended worse (2.35 ± 0.40) compared with premasking (2.09 ± 0.48; P = 0.05) with light perception visual acuity more common with masking (31.6% vs. 10.9%, P = 0.06). There was no delay in time from procedure to initial treatment ( P = 0.36), no difference in the rate of initial treatment with tap and inject (T/I), and similar positive-culture rates ( P = 0.77) between the cohorts. Visual acuity after 30 days of follow-up was clinically unchanged (∼20/500 vs. 20/400; P = 0.59). CONCLUSION: Universal masking had no effect on postinjection endophthalmitis rate or on the rate of culture-positive cases. Although presenting visual acuity appeared worse with masking, this was not statistically significant, and current treatment paradigms resulted in similar visual outcomes.

Risk of Endophthalmitis Based on Cumulative Number of Anti-VEGF Intravitreal Injections.

PURPOSE: To determine the risk of endophthalmitis in eyes undergoing intravitreal injections (IVIs) of anti-VEGF based on cumulative number of injections per eye. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients from a single center undergoing IVIs of ranibizumab, aflibercept, or bevacizumab. METHODS: Eyes were divided into quartiles based on injection number causative of endophthalmitis between January 1, 2011, and June 1, 2022. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Interquartile clinical outcomes and cumulative risk of endophthalmitis per injection and per eye. RESULTS: A total of 43 393 eyes received 652 421 anti-VEGF injections resulting in 231 endophthalmitis cases (0.035% per injection, 1 in 2857), of which 215 were included. The cumulative endophthalmitis risk increased from 0.0018% (1 in 55 556) after 1 injection to 0.013% (1 in 7692) after 11 injections (0.0012 percentage point change), versus 0.014% (1 in 7143) after 12 injections to 0.025% (1 in 4000) after 35 injections (0.00049 percentage point change), versus 0.025% (1 in 4000) after 36 injections to 0.031% (1 in 3226) after 66 injections (0.00017 percentage point change), versus 0.031% (1 in 3226) after 63 injections to 0.033% (1 in 3030) after 126 injections (0.000042 percentage point change) (P < 0.001). Likewise, the cumulative endophthalmitis risk per eye increased from 0.028% (1 in 3571) to 0.20% (1 in 500) between injections 1 and 11 (0.018 percentage point change), versus 0.21% (1 in 476) to 0.38% (1 in 263) between injections 12 and 35 (0.0075 percentage point change), versus 0.38% (1 in 263) to 0.46% (1 in 217) between injections 36 and 66 (0.0026 percentage point change), versus 0.46% (1 in 217) to 0.50% (1 in 200) between injections 67 and 126 (0.00063 percentage point change) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative endophthalmitis risk per injection and per eye increased with greater number of injections received but appeared to do so at a higher rate during earlier injections and at a lower rate further into the treatment course. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Diagnóstico diferencial de las reacciones inflamatorias tras uso de medicación intravítrea en degeneración macular asociada a la edad: estéril vs. infeccioso / Differential diagnosis of endophthalmitis after intravitreal drug injection for age related macular degeneration: Sterile vs. infectious

El interés por las complicaciones inflamatorias tras la inyección intravítrea de fármacos antiangiogénicos ha aumentado tras la comercialización de brolucizumab y el desarrollo de nuevas moléculas como el abicipar pegol. Dichos fármacos se asocian a una tasa de complicaciones inflamatorias mayor a los antiangiogénicos clásicos. En este contexto resulta clave el diferenciar procesos infecciosos y estériles para realizar un tratamiento efectivo y precoz. El solapamiento del cuadro clínico entre procesos infecciosos y estériles, la baja tasa de positividad en los cultivos y la heterogeneidad en la terminología son barreras para el correcto diagnóstico y reporte de las complicaciones inflamatorias tras la inyección de medicación antiangiogénica intravítrea. Los cuadros estériles comienzan de forma precoz tras la inyección, dentro de las primeras 48 h, o alrededor de 20 días después en los casos de vasculitis asociada a brolucizumab. Los procesos infecciosos comienzan como promedio en el tercer día tras la inyección, y hasta una semana después de la misma. La disminución grave de la agudeza visual, el dolor severo, la hiperemia severa, el hipopion y un mayor grado de inflamación intraocular deben orientar hacia procesos infecciosos. En los casos en que exista duda sobre la etiología de la inflamación, debe procederse a un control muy estrecho del paciente o al tratamiento antimicrobiano empírico junto con la toma de muestra para evitar complicaciones derivadas de una endoftalmitis infecciosa. Por el contrario, los fenómenos estériles deben ser tratados con observación en los casos más leves o corticoterapia adaptada a la gravedad de inflamación en los casos más graves (AU)

The recent release of brolucizumab and the development of new antiangiogenic molecules as abicipar pegol has increased the interest towards inflammatory complications after intravitreal drug injection. Those drugs are associated to a higher rate of inflammatory adverse events compared to classic drugs. In this context it is essential to differentiate between sterile and infectious cases for a fast and effective treatment. The clinical similarities between infectious and sterile cases, the high rate of culture negative patients and the heterogeneity in the terminology used are obstacles for a correct diagnosis and report of these complications. Sterile cases appear early after the injection, before 48h; or 20 days after in brolucizumab-related vasculitis cases. Infectious cases show up around the third day after injection and up to a week after it. A severe visual impairment, severe pain, severe hyperemia, hypopyon and a more severe intraocular inflammatory process are signs of a likely infectious origin. If the cause of the inflammation is uncertain we must follow up the patient closely or “tap and inject” antimicrobial agents in order to prevent the eventual complications of an infectious endophthalmitis. On the other hand, sterile endophthalmitis might be observed in mild cases or treated with steroids according to the severity of the inflammation (AU)

Agujero macular iatrogéno durante la inyección de perfluorocarbono líquido en una cirugía de desprendimiento de retina / Iatrogenic macular hole during liquid perfluorocarbon injection in retinal detachment surgery

Reportar la formación de agujero macular durante la inyección intravítrea de perfluorocarbono líquido en la cirugía programada de desprendimiento de retina. Caso clínico Varón de 73 años con desprendimiento de retina regmatógeno superotemporal. Durante la inyección de perfluorocarbono líquido se produce un agujero macular de espesor completo con acumulación del perfluorocarbono en el espacio subretiniano. El líquido se extrajo a través del agujero macular. La tomografía de coherencia óptica confirmó un agujero macular de espesor total en el examen postoperatorio. Un mes después se repara con técnica de colgajo invertido de membrana limitante interna con resultado funcional satisfactorio. La inyección de perflurocarbono líquido intravítreo es electiva, facilita el drenaje del fluido subretiniano en los desprendimientos de retina. Algunas complicaciones han sido asociadas a su empleo, intraoperatorias y postoperatorias. Hasta el momento no ha sido reportado ningún caso de agujero macular completo producido durante la inyección intravítrea de perfluorocarbono (AU)

To describe a macular hole development during intravitreal injection of perfluorocarbon liquid used to repair a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Clinical case A 73-year-old man presented with superotemporal rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. During surgery, along the perflorocarbon liquid injection, a full thickness macular developed and perfluorocarbon was accumulated in subretinal space. Perfluorocarbon liquid was then extracted through the macular hole. Postoperatively, ocular coherence tomography confirmed the existence of a full-thickness macular hole. One month later, this macular hole was successfully treated with the use of an inverted internal limiting membrane flap. Intravitreous liquid PFC injection is a resource to aid in subretinal fluid exit. A number of complications, both intra and postoperative, have been associated with the use of PFC. This is the first reported case of a complete macular hole secondary to PFC injection (AU)

RISK OF INTRAOCULAR INFLAMMATION AFTER INJECTION OF ANTIVASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR AGENTS: A Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This meta-analysis investigates the incidence of intraocular inflammation (IOI) after intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injections in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: A systematic search was performed on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central from January 2005 to April 2021. Randomized controlled trials comparing IOI after intravitreal bevacizumab, ranibizumab, brolucizumab, or aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration were included. Primary outcomes were sight-threatening IOI, final best-corrected visual acuity, and change in best-corrected visual acuity from baseline. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of other IOI events. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Overall, 11,460 unique studies were screened, of which 14 randomized controlled trials and 6,759 eyes at baseline were included. There was no difference between agents for the risk of endophthalmitis and retinal vascular occlusion. Compared with aflibercept, brolucizumab had a higher incidence of generalized IOI (risk ratio = 6.24, 95% confidence interval = [1.40-27.90]) and vitreous haze/floaters (risk ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence interval = [1.00-2.67]). There were no significant differences between comparators for other secondary end points. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the risk of severe sight-threatening IOI outcomes between intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor agents. There was a significantly higher risk of generalized IOI after brolucizumab relative to aflibercept. Our results alongside other recent safety findings suggest the need for further investigation in the risk-benefit profile of brolucizumab for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Eyes with Intraocular Inflammation after Brolucizumab: Post Hoc Analysis of HAWK and HARRIER.

PURPOSE: This analysis of the pivotal phase 3 HAWK and HARRIER trials aimed to provide insights on the timing of presentation, management, and outcomes of intraocular inflammation (IOI)-related adverse events (AEs), as reported by investigators in these trials. DESIGN: Post hoc analysis of investigator-reported IOI-related AEs in HAWK and HARRIER. PARTICIPANTS: Of 1088 brolucizumab-treated eyes (3 or 6 mg), 49 eyes demonstrated at least 1 IOI-related AE and were included in this analysis. METHODS: Reports of IOI-related AEs were analyzed and descriptive statistics were provided for outcome measures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence and description of eyes with IOI-related AEs, timing of presentation, management, clinical outcomes, and brolucizumab treatment after the first IOI-related AE. RESULTS: Seventy IOI-related AEs were reported in 49 eyes. Before the onset of first IOI-related AE, eyes received a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 3.9 ± 2.2 brolucizumab injections. Median time to first IOI-related AE from the last administered brolucizumab injection was 18.0 days (interquartile range, 4.0-29.0 days). Of the 70 AEs, 61 (87.1%) were treated, most with topical corticosteroids; systemic and intraocular corticosteroids were used for 3 AEs each. Overall, inflammation resolved completely in 39 eyes (79.6%), resolved with sequelae in 5 eyes (10.2%), and did not resolve in 5 eyes (10.2%) by end-of-study (EOS). Overall, the mean ± SD best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) change from baseline to EOS, before AE to the lowest BCVA in 3 months after AE, and from before AE to EOS were -0.84 ± 20.6 , -16.31 ± 17.6, and -0.22 ± 18.9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, respectively. Of the 36 eyes (73.5%) that continued with brolucizumab therapy after the first IOI-related AE, 24 completed the trials and 12 discontinued; mean ± SD BCVA change in these eyes was 2.6 ± 17.6, 7.8 ± 13.2, and -7.7 ± 21.3 ETDRS letters, respectively, from baseline to EOS. The remaining 13 eyes (26.5%) were not treated with brolucizumab after first IOI-related AE and showed a mean ± SD BCVA change of -10.4 ± 25.5 ETDRS letters from baseline to EOS. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this analysis highlight the need for continued vigilance and monitoring for any signs of IOI-related events in patients receiving brolucizumab.

Fungal Necrotizing Scleritis After Intravitreal Injection Therapy.

PURPOSE: To report a case of infectious necrotizing scleritis secondary to Aspergillus terreus after intravitreal injection therapy. METHODS: This is a case report with literature review. RESULTS: A 98-year-old woman receiving intravitreal aflibercept injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the left eye presented with severe pain, redness, and purulent discharge at the injection site. She was initially treated with topical fortified antibiotics, and clinical improvement was achieved, although microbial cultures showed negative results. Two months later, she presented with severe ocular pain and was diagnosed with anterior necrotizing scleritis. Scleral scrapings were collected for cultures, and intensive topical antibiotic therapy was reintroduced. Evaluation for autoimmune etiology and microbiological testing showed negative results. Because of the progression of the scleral necrotic area, empirical therapy with topical voriconazole was initiated, and surgical debridement was performed. Finally, the culture was positive for A. terreus. The modified therapy consisted of topical voriconazole and oral voriconazole for 3 months with an excellent clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first case of fungal necrotizing scleritis secondary to intravitreal injection. Diagnosis was delayed due to its chronic clinical course and the slow fungal growth in culture media, but the combined medical and surgical approach resulted in a satisfactory outcome.

Acute and subacute macular and peripapillary angiographic changes in choroidal and retinal blood flow post-intravitreal injections.

Whether post injectional acute intraocular pressure (IOP) increase is associated with decreased peripapillary and macular perfusion is still under debate. Here, we investigated early changes in the choroidal and retinal blood flow using OCTA imaging in a cohort of patients undergoing anti-VEGF intravitreal injections (IVI) for macular edema following retinal vein occlusion and diabetic retinopathy. In this prospective single-center, observational study, the pre- and post-IVI changes in retinal perfusion were examined via assessment of vessel length density (VLD) and vessel density (VD) in deep and superficial capillary segmentations (DCP and SCP), foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in SCP, as well as flow signal deficits in the choriocapillaris segmentation. Mean IOP significantly changed over the study course (p = 0.000; ANOVA). Measurements at 5 min post-IVI (33.48 ± 10.84 mmHg) differed significantly from baseline (17.26 ± 2.41 mmHg, p = 0.000), while measurements from one day, one week, and one-month post-IVI did not (p = 0.907, p = 1.000 and p = 1.000 respectively). In comparison to baseline, no changes in OCTA parameters, including FAZ, VD, VLD, and FV, were detected 5 min post-IVI. No significant alterations in OCTA parameters were observed during study course. Increased IOP spikes were detected post-IVI; however, no potential permanent ischemic retinal damage was suspected.

Description and management of retinopathy of prematurity reactivation after intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the literature regarding reactivation of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) after treatment with antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. RECENT FINDINGS: Reactivation can occur after anti-VEGF or laser. Risk factors for reactivation include patient and disease-related factors. Various studies are evaluating the use of different anti-VEGF agents and reactivation rates. However, the definition of reactivation varies between studies. SUMMARY: The literature has varied definitions of reactivation, which is often used interchangeably with recurrence. It is important to recognize features of reactivation of ROP to appropriately manage patients and conduct clinical trials. The International Classification of ROP 3rd edition has established a consensus guideline regarding terminology describing reactivation.

Complications of retinopathy of prematurity treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to summarize complications of treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to compare complications of laser and intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections. RECENT FINDINGS: Poor structural outcomes and myopia are more common with laser for severe ROP than with anti-VEGF. Clinical trial data show unfavourable outcomes in 9.1-9.5% of laser treated, and 1.4-3.6% of anti-VEGF treated eyes. Additional randomized trial data show risk for very high myopia (≥-8.00D) to be 3.8 and 51.4% for zone I eyes treated with bevacizumab and laser, respectively. However, anti-VEGF may be complicated by late recurrence and is more likely to require retreatment than laser. Laser often necessitates general anaesthesia with its attendant risks, including worse short-term respiratory outcomes. Neurodevelopmental complications have been reported with anti-VEGF, but existing studies are subject to bias. SUMMARY: Treatment complications are substantially different for the two modalities in common use today. In more severe cases, risk of poor structural outcome and myopia favour treatment with anti-VEGF. In less severe ROP, risk of recurrence and the need for additional treatments may favour laser. Additional data are needed to establish comparative risks of neurodevelopmental complications.

Incidence of elevated intraocular pressure after intravitreal injection in Japanese patients with age-related macular degeneration.

The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) after intravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in Japanese patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A retrospective study of chart review of patients who underwent ≥ 10 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections between April 2009 and December 2019 was conducted. Elevated IOP was defined as IOP ≥ 25 mmHg at one visit. Cases with elevated IOP resulting from IVI were identified. Furthermore, the association between elevated IOP and some parameters, as the risk factors that influence elevated IOP, was investigated. A total of 402 eyes of 370 patients were included in this study. Twenty-eight eyes of 26 patients (7.0%) were identified as cases with elevated IOP after IVI. The mean time of elevation after baseline was 50.6 ± 26.5 months. History of glaucoma (p = 0.021; odds ratio, 5.85), treatment modality (p = 0.019; odds ratio, 6.32), and total number of injections (p = 0.003; odds ratio, 1.03) were significantly associated with elevated IOP. A late complication of elevated IOP is associated with IVI in patients with AMD. Particularly, history of glaucoma and treat and extend regimen with frequent injections were found to be risk factors of elevated IOP.

Rates of Suspected Endophthalmitis Following Intravitreal Injections in Clinical Practices in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate rates of suspected endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections of aflibercept, bevacizumab, ranibizumab (vial and pre-filled), dexamethasone implant, and triamcinolone in clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of aggregated electronic medical records from the Vestrum Health Database. Eyes with a diagnosis of suspected endophthalmitis based on billing codes between January 2013 and June 2019 were included. RESULTS: Total number of injections, suspected endophthalmitis cases, and medication rate, respectively, were: aflibercept (1,412,699; 687; 0.049%); bevacizumab (1,467,722; 379; 0.026%); ranibizumab vial (884,061; 233; 0.026%), ranibizumab pre-filled (427,763; 96; 0.022%); dexamethasone implant (49,464; 53; 0.107%); and triamcinolone (75,038; 110; 0.147%). Rates were lower for bevacizumab and ranibizumab (vial and pre-filled) compared to aflibercept, dexamethasone implant, and triamcinolone (P < .05). Triamcinolone had a higher rate compared to all of the other medications (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Suspected endophthalmitis rates following anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections in clinical practice were similar to reported rates in clinical trials. Rates of suspected endophthalmitis following steroid injections trended higher with significantly higher rates with triamcinolone. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2021;52:312-318.].