Bevacizumab not recommended for NAION

Intravitreal bevacizumab is not recommended for the treatment of new onset Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION), according to an investigation the journal Eye.

The non-randomized controlled clinical trial, led by Dr D.B. Rootman, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, included 17 patients who received 1.25 mg intravitreal bevacizumab and eight control patients.

All patients underwent examination at baseline, one, three and six months post treatment with a complete neuro-ophthalmic assessment, automated perimetry and OCT measurements. The primary outcome measure was the change in mean deviation on Humphrey visual field testing. The secondary outcome measures were change in visual acuity and optic nerve OCT thickness.

The results revealed no significant effect of treatment on the primary outcome measure of the mean deviation score. There were similar outcomes for the secondary outcome measures in the mean change in ETDRS letters and nerve fibre layer thickness.

In the bevacizumab group one patient presented with a corneal abrasion and there were two cases of recurrent NAION. There was no difference between bevacizumab and natural history for change in visual field, visual acuity or optic nerve OCT thickness.

Based on these findings, the study group would not recommended bevacizumab for the treatment of the new onset of NAOIN.

The abstract can be viewed here.