Mid-Term Impact of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agents on Intraocular Pressure

Abstract

The effect of intraocular injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on intraocular pressure (IOP) has not been clearly stated. We extracted data from the electronic health records at Dijon University Hospital of 750 patients who were unilaterally injected with anti-VEGF agents between March 2012 and March 2020. These were treatment-naïve patients who had received at least three injections of the same treatment (aflibercept, bevacizumab, or ranibizumab) in one eye only, and had IOP measurements before and after the injections. Fellow untreated eyes were used as comparators. A clinically significant IOP rise was determined as an IOP above 21 mmHg and an increase of at least 6 mmHg compared to baseline, or the need for IOP-lowering agents. We found an overall slight increase in IOP between treated and untreated eyes at 6 months (+0.67 ± 3.33 mmHg, 95% confidence interval 0.33–1.02, p < 0.001). Ranibizumab had a higher final IOP at 1 and 3 months. Age, sex, and the number of injections were not associated with IOP variation. Ranibizumab was associated with a higher rate of increase in clinically significant IOP at 6 months (p = 0.03). Our study confirms that anti-VEGF injections constitute a relatively safe treatment regarding their impact on IOP.