An increasing number of patients receive intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections with a high frequency for the treatment of neovascular macular disease. Since the volume of the vitreous body is temporarily increased by the injection of the substances, a short-term intraocular pressure increase after the introduction of the substance is not uncommon. However, there are more and more reports indicating that multiple injections may lead to a long-term increase in intraocular pressure. This may also be the case in patients without a glaucoma history. In some cases, this pressure increase cannot be adequately treated with local pressure-reducing medication and requires an operative procedure in order to avoid glaucoma damage. This appears to be more common in products dispensed from broken bulk or after administration of bevacizumab. The mechanism leading to inflammation and/or a sustained increase in pressure is unknown. High molecular weight molecules present in the syringe, such as monomer antibodies, aggregated proteins, or silicone oil droplets from the syringe, may lead to inflammation in the trabecular meshwork or displacement thereof and a subsequent increase of the intraocular pressure. Avoiding silicone oil droplets in the syringes would be desirable. Intraocular pressure after intravitreal injections should also be monitored long term after the procedure.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.