Decrease in Anti-VEGF Injections After Post-injection Endophthalmitis in Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Introduction: To evaluate the effect of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)–related endophthalmitis on intravitreal injection (IVI) frequency in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all cases of post IVI endophthalmitis that occurred in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between 2012 and 2019. Contralateral eyes affected by nAMD but without endophthalmitis served as a control group. The main outcome measures were the frequency of anti-VEGF injections, visual acuity, and activity of choroidal neovascularization before and after endophthalmitis. Results: Seventeen eyes met the inclusion criteria, 2 (12%) of which never resumed IVI after endophthalmitis because of the quiescence of disease. Post-endophthalmitis eyes received IVI less frequently in the 1 year after endophthalmitis (mean 0.52 ± 0.42 IVI/month) than those that received IVI 1 year before endophthalmitis (1.09 ± 0.36 IVI/month) ( P = .001). The 17 contralateral eyes also received anti-VEGF injections less frequently after endophthalmitis than before ( P = .001). There was no significant change in optical coherence tomography markers of disease activity in cases or controls. Conclusions: In patients with nAMD, endophthalmitis resolution is associated with a decrease in anti-VEGF injection frequency. The same decrease in anti-VEGF injection frequency is also seen in contralateral eyes unaffected by endophthalmitis. Markers of disease activity remain unchanged in both eyes, suggesting disease quiescence despite reduced IVI frequency.