Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2007-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Recently, intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) injection has gained popularity as a potential
treatment of intraocular neovascularization (CNV) associated with age related macular
degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The efficacy of the drug is thought to be related with
its pharmacologic blockade of VEGF.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the intravitreal bevacizumab on the
fibrovascular membrane associated with proliferative diabetic retinopathy by objective
histologic evaluation.
The patients scheduled for vitrectomy for tractional fibrovascular membrane due to
proliferative diabetic retinopathy will be randomized into two treatment groups. The one will
receive conventional vitrectomy and the other group will receive intravitreal bevacizumab
injection one week before the scheduled vitrectomy. The fibrovascular membrane will be
excised during surgery and fixated for histologic examinations. The expression of VEGF and
PEDF, a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis, will be evaluated in the fibrovascular membrane by
immunohistochemistry. The results will be compared between two treatment groups.