Effect of intravitreal ranibizumab on corneal endothelium in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab on the corneal endothelium in patients with choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: Observational prospective case series study. Fifty-two eyes of 52 consecutive patients (29 men, 23 women; age range, 61-80 years) were evaluated. All participants received monthly intravitreal injections of (0.05 mL, 0.5 mg) ranibizumab for 3 consecutive months; the follow-up period was 6 months. Central corneal specular microscopy was performed before injection and at 7 days and 6 months after the first intravitreal injection. The endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation of cell size, and percentage of hexagonal cells were analyzed, and the central corneal thickness was measured. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the endothelial cell densities, coefficient of variation of cell sizes, and percentage of hexagonal cells values before injection and at 7 days and 6 months after the first intravitreal ranibizumab injection (P = 0.987, P = 0.822, and P = 0.918, respectively). There was also no significant difference in central corneal thickness measurements before injection and at 7 days and 6 months after the first intravitreal ranibizumab injection (P = 0.325). CONCLUSION: Repeated intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg of ranibizumab do not seem to cause substantial changes in the corneal endothelium at 6 months.

Intraoperative mitomycin C and corneal endothelium after pterygium surgery.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of mitomycin C (MMC) on the corneal endothelium after primary pterygium surgery. METHODS: This prospective, interventional, nonrandomized, observer-masked study included 46 consecutive patients (51 eyes) with primary pterygium. The bare sclera technique with 1-minute application of 0.02% MMC intraoperatively was used in all cases. The follow-up period was 3 months. Preoperative and postoperative central corneal specular microscopy was performed. The endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation of cell size, and percentage of hexagonal cells were analyzed, and the corneal thickness was measured. RESULTS: The mean endothelial cell densities preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively were 2382.35 +/- 342.07 cells per square millimeter (range, 1020-3129) and 2385.02 +/- 356.83 cells per square millimeter (range, 1001-3151), respectively (P = 0.96). The mean coefficients of variation of cell size preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively were 34.31 +/- 5.62 (range, 22-49) and 35.29 +/- 7.50 (range, 22-55), respectively (P = 0.17). The mean percentages of hexagonal cells values preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively were 52.98 +/- 7.32 (range, 32-71) and 51.61 +/- 8.98 (range, 32-67), respectively (P = 0.48). The mean pachymetry measurements preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively were 506.65 +/- 36.87 microm (range, 411-583) and 502.08 +/- 41.33 microm (range, 411-593), respectively (P = 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: One intraoperative application of 0.02% MMC for 1 minute after primary pterygium surgery does not seem to cause substantial changes in the corneal endothelium at 3 months.