Abstract

Objective: To report the indications of intravitreal injections, intravitreal drugs used and their complications rate
Material and Method: The charts of patients who received intravitreal injection/s for 5 years period were reviewed retrospectively. Indications for intravitreal injections, which drug was used to intravitreally, age and gender of patients, and complications of intravitreal injections were evaluated. All intravitreal injections were performed under topical anesthesia with instillation of 5% povidone iodine and irrigation with saline solution at upper temporal area through the pars plana using 27 gauge needle in the operating room. Ofloxacin 0.3% drop was used 4x1 in all cases for one week. The amount and generic name of drugs used in intravitreal injections were 1.25-2.5 mg of bevacizumab, 0.5 mg of ranibizumab and 4 or 2 mg (combined with 1.25 mg bevacizumab) of triamcinolone acetonide.
Results: This study includes 962 patients (514 females, 448 males). The mean age was 65±20.3 (18-89) old. Intravitreal injections were performed in 574 patients for diabetic macular edema, in 143 patients for age-related choroidal neovascularization, in 47 patients central retinal vein occlusion, in 107 patients for branch retinal vein occlusion, in 83 patients for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with/without intraocular hemorrhage, in 5 patients for central serous choroidopathy, and in 3 patients for adult vitelliform macular degeneration. Number of total injections was 4318 in 962 patients in 5 years.
The name and ratio’s of intravitreal agents were as follows; bevacizumab (57%), ranibizumab (17%), triamcinolone acetonide (16%) and bevacizumab + triamcinolone acetonide (10%).
Conclusion: The most common indication for intravitreal injections was diabetic macular edema and the most common drug that injected intravitreally was bevacizumab. The most serious complication that occurred in 2 cases was endophthalmitis. Endophthalmitis rate was 0.046%. A spontaneously cleared vitreous hemorrhage occurred in one eye. Pseudoendophtalmitis was occurred in one case after triamcinolone injection. Retinal detachment was not recorded.

Key words: Bevacizumab, endopthalmitis, intravitreal injection, macula, ranibizumab, triamscinolone acetonide