Effect of intravitreal ranibizumab on corneal endothelium in age-related macular degeneration

To determine the effect of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab on the corneal endothelium in patients with choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration.

Observational prospective case series study. Fifty-two eyes of 52 consecutive patients (29 men, 23 women; age range, 61-80 years) were evaluated. All participants received monthly intravitreal injections of (0.05 mL, 0.5 mg) ranibizumab for 3 consecutive months; the follow-up period was 6 months. Central corneal specular microscopy was performed before injection and at 7 days and 6 months after the first intravitreal injection. The endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation of cell size, and percentage of hexagonal cells were analyzed, and the central corneal thickness was measured.

There were no significant differences in the endothelial cell densities, coefficient of variation of cell sizes, and percentage of hexagonal cells values before injection and at 7 days and 6 months after the first intravitreal ranibizumab injection (P = 0.987, P = 0.822, and P = 0.918, respectively). There was also no significant difference in central corneal thickness measurements before injection and at 7 days and 6 months after the first intravitreal ranibizumab injection (P = 0.325).

Repeated intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg of ranibizumab do not seem to cause substantial changes in the corneal endothelium at 6 months.