Intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema due to occlusive vasculitis

Abstract

Systemic vasculitides can cause retinal vascular pathology, including cotton-wool spots, retinal hemorrhages, vascular occlusion, and capillary nonperfusion. Two main causes of visual decline include macular edema and retinal neovascularization. Presumably, both of these complications are caused by increased intraocular levels of vascular growth and permeability factors. We report a patient with occlusive retinal vasculitis associated with mixed connective tissue disease who was treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for chronic macular edema. One month after treatment, visual acuity improved from 20/80 to 20/60, and foveal thickness decreased from 543 microns to 306 microns. This effect persisted for at least 3 months after treatment. No complications, including increased retinal ischemia, were observed.