Title : INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR THE TREATMENT OF VITREOUS HEMORRHAGE DUE TO PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY Short Title : BEVACIZUMAB FOR VITREOUS HEMORRHAGE IN PDR

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) use in patients with a vitreous hemorrhage (VH) secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional case series. METHODS: Patients who presented to Scheie Eye Institute between January 2008 and January 2015 with a new VH secondary to PDR and treated with IVB were included. Exclusion criteria consisted of IVB treatment prior to the study, a history of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and less than one year of follow-up. Outcomes of interest were additional treatments including PPV, injections, and panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), as well as visual acuity at baseline and one year. RESULTS: Of the 111 eligible eyes, 55 (49.5%) had PRP, 35 (31.6%) were managed with injections alone, and 21 (18.9%) had PPV after one year. The overall average number of injections during this time was 2 (range 1-9), and 13 (11.7%) eyes were managed with a single injection alone. Of the 69 eyes with two years of follow up, 43 (62.3%) had PRP, 16 (23.2%) were treated with injections alone, and 10 (14.5%) had PPV. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the potentially important role that IVB injections have in the management of patients with VH secondary to PDR. The results indicate that a proportion of patients may be treated with a minimal amount of intervention requiring one or two anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections only. Also, the rate of PPV at two years (27.9%, n=31) suggests that most patients may be managed non-surgically. M AN US CR IP T AC CE PT ED ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT