Efficacy of intralesional bevacizumab administration in primary pterygium: a quantitative analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the regression of the pterygium tissue quantitatively after intralesional bevacizumab administration in patients with primary pterygium.

METHODS

Thirty-three eyes of 33 patients with primary pterygium who underwent intralesional bevacizumab (1.25 mg per 0.05 mL) administration were included in this prospective study. The ocular irritation, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp and funduscopic examinations, corneal astigmatism, the horizontal length, and the thickness of the pterygium were assessed before and after 2 months of treatment. To evaluate the corneal astigmatism and the thickness of the pterygium, the Pentacam comprehensive eye scanner (Pentacam CES; Oculus GmbH) was used.

RESULTS

After 2 months of bevacizumab administration, the average BCVA was improved (P=0.003). The average ocular irritation score, horizontal length, and the thickness of the pterygium were statistically significantly decreased (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

After 2 months of intralesional bevacizumab administration, the average amount of decrease in the horizontal length and thickness of the pterygium was 0.6 mm and 37 μm, respectively. Intralesional bevacizumab administration is useful in the management of primary pterygium without having any local or systemic adverse effects; however, repeated administrations are needed to provide clinically more significant results.