Strategies for Management of Corneal Neovascularisation

• Status: Unknown status
• Trial end date: 2018-08-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The cornea is the transparent window of the eye, which allows light to enter into the eye and also contributes to the focusing of the light rays. One of the major factors responsible for its transparency is the lack of blood vessels. However, following inflammation new blood vessels (corneal vascularisation [CVas]) grow into the cornea affecting its transparency and impairing vision. CVas leads to further damage in the form of scarring,oedema,fat deposition and is a major cause of corneal graft rejection.

In 2000 with ethical approval (OY129801) the investigators developed and published a clinical technique called Fine Needle Diathermy occlusion of corneal vessels (FND). This has proven very successful for occluding established vessels and is practiced in many centers across the world. Recently it has been demonstrated that by inhibiting a chemical stimulant of vessel formation called vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) active new vessel growth in the retina can be suppressed. The approach is also being used for corneal new vessels. Bevacizumab (Avastin) is a chemical inhibitor of VEGF and is used extensively to treat retinal new vessels in macular degeneration. Avastin has been shown to be effective and safe in treating corneal new vessels. The investigators propose to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FND alone and FND combined with Avastin in treatment of CVas.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: University of Nottingham
• Treatments: Bevacizumab

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients over the age of 18

• Able to give informed consent

• With corneal neovascularisation non responsive or not suitable for conventional steroid therapy

• Use of effective contraception in females of childbearing age

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients under 18 years of age

• Patients unable or refusing to provide informed consent

• Patients who are needle phobic

• Pregnant women, women aiming for conception and breastfeeding women

• Patients with hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients

• Patients with active or suspected ocular or periocular infections.

• Patients with active severe intraocular inflammation.

• Patients with raised intraocular pressure or on glaucoma medication