Comparison of intraocular pressure elevation following intravitreal injection of 70 µl aflibercept 8 mg.

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of increased injection volume on intraocular pressure (IOP) following intravitreal injections of aflibercept 8 mg (70 µl) compared to conventional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study METHODS: This retrospective observational study included eyes treated with 50 µl of either aflibercept 2 mg or faricimab 6 mg, followed by a switch to 70 µl of aflibercept 8 mg. IOP was measured before and 30 minutes after intravitreal injections. IOP changes in treated and fellow eyes were analyzed, with potential associations examined between IOP changes and clinical parameters.

RESULTS: A total of 88 eyes from 85 patients were switched to aflibercept 8 mg during the study period. Due to incomplete data, 17 eyes from 15 patients were excluded, leaving 71 eyes from 70 patients for the analysis. IOP significantly increased from 13.2 ± 2.9 mmHg to 19.1± 5.4 mmHg (P< 0.001) with 50 µl injections and from 13.3 ± 2.9 mmHg to 19.8 ± 4.8 mmHg (P<0.001) with 70 µl injections. The IOP increases were 6.0 ± 5.0 mmHg with 50 µl injections and 6.5 ± 4.3 mmHg with 70 µl injections, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.20). An IOP exceeding 26 mmHg was observed in 6 eyes treated with 50 µl injections and 10 eyes with 70 µl injections, with no significant difference in IOP distribution between the volumes (P = 0.20).

CONCLUSION: There was no additional increase in IOP 30 minutes after intravitreal injections when switching from 50 µl to 70 µl volumes.