Acute endophthalmitis following intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) injection

• Published in: Eye (London) Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 408 - 409
• Main Authors: AGGIO, F. B, FARAH, M. E, DE MELO, G. B, D'AZEVEDO, P. A, PIGNATARI, A. C. C, HÖFLING-LIMA, A. L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01-03-2007
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Aged, 80 and over; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - adverse effects; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal - adverse effects; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Bevacizumab; Biological and medical sciences; Endophthalmitis - chemically induced; Endophthalmitis - microbiology; Female; Humans; Injections - methods; Macular Degeneration - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Ophthalmology; Staphylococcal Infections - chemically induced; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Vitreous Body - microbiology; Ocular; intravitreal bevacizumab; Acute; VEGF; Vitreous body; Uvea disease; Inflammation; Injection; ocular inflammation; Eye disease; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Ophthalmology; endophthalmitis; Endophtalmitis
• ISSN: 0950-222X; 1476-5454
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.eye.6702683

To report two cases of acute endophthalmitis following intravitreal bevacizumab injection.
Two patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration were treated sequentially with an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and developed signs of severe but painless infectious endophthalmitis 2 days later. Vitreous samples were obtained, followed by the injection of vancomycin 1 mg/0.1 ml and ceftazidime 2.25 mg/0.1 ml. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine whether the isolated microorganisms were the same.
Coagulase-negative staphylococci were identified and isolated from the vitreous specimen of both patients. PFGE revealed different patterns of banding, excluding that interpatient contamination occured.
Infectious endophthalmitis is a potential complication of intravitreal bevacizumab injection.