Effects of Intravitreal Injection of Ranibizumab and Aflibercept on Corneal Endothelium and Central Corneal Thickness

INTRODUCTION: This study was an evaluation of intravitreal injections of ranibizumab (IVR) and aflibercept (IVA) administered to the corneal endothelium.
METHODS: Thirty eyes of 30 patients made up the IVR injection group and 30 eyes of another 30 patients were recruited as the IVA injection group. Specular microscopy results before the injection, on the 1st, 7th, and 30th days were examined. Central corneal thickness (CCT), endothelial cell density (CD), coefficient of variation (CV), and hexagonality (HEX) values were recorded.
RESULTS: No difference was seen between the groups with respect to gender (p=0.057). No significant difference was seen in CCT measurements in the IVR or the IVA group (p=0.08, p=0.16, respectively). Nor was a significant difference seen in the IVR group in terms of CD (p=0.85); however, a statistically significant difference was detected in the IVA group (p=0.03). Furthermore, no significant difference was seen in the IVR or the IVA group with regard to CV (p=0.12, p=0.17, respectively), and no significant difference was seen in the IVA group with respect to HEX values between measurements intervals (p>0.05); however, a significant difference was found in the IVR group (p=0.02).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Neither IVR nor IVA affected the CCT or CV values. The CD did not change significantly in the IVR group, whereas in the IVA group, the CD values of the first day after the injection were high, although they had returned to normal on the 30th day. In the IVR group, a statistically significant difference was seen in terms of the HEX values.