Would intravitreal bevacizumab injection increase risk of cerebral infarction?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although studies have evaluated the relationship between intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection and cerebral infarction (CI), the effects of IVB on CI are still not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of IVB injection on patients with CI with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with AMD who received IVB injections for 1 year and determined the incidence of CI within 60 days after IVB injection to analyze the possible association between IVB and CI. RESULTS: A total of 263 patients were enrolled over a 12-month period. Six patients (2.28%) were diagnosed with CI within 2 months after receiving an IVB injection. The incidence of CI in patients of 75-84 years of age was 6.38%. These results showed a higher incidence for patients with IVB injections than the results of previous epidemiological studies (0.13% for all age groups, 1.68% for patients of 75-84 years of age). All CIs occurred 21-53 days after the IVB injection (mean: 39.33 ± 14.65 days). Logistic regression analyses showed that age and CI history were factors associated with CI. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with IVB might be an independent risk factor for CI. These results are useful for planning treatment strategies for patients with AMD and for prevention of CI.