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Gian Maria Cavallini,1 Graziella Pellegrini,2 Veronica Volante,1 Pietro Ducange,1 Michele De Maria,1 Giulio Torlai,1 Caterina Benatti,1 Matteo Forlini1 1Institute of Ophthalmology, 2Centre for Regenerative Medicine “Stefano Ferrari”, University of Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy Background: Limbal stem cell (LSC) deficiency leads to corneal opacity due to a conjunctivalization of the corneal surface. LSC transplantation, which can be followed by corneal keratoplasty, is an effective procedure to restore corneal transparency; however, a common cause of failure of this procedure is neovascularization (NV).Methods: A 59-year-old man with a 21-year history of a corneal chemical burn caused by phosphoric acid in his left eye was examined. He presented with unilateral total LSC deficiency with severe conjunctivalization and a corrected distance visual acuity that was limited to hand motion.Results: We reported the short-term in vivo efficacy of subconjunctival bevacizumab for progressive corneal NV in a patient with LSC deficiency that underwent LSC transplantation. Four months after autologous LSC transplantation and 1 month after the second subconjunctival bevacizumab injection, the patient’s corrected distance visual acuity was 1/10.Conclusion: Subconjunctival injection of bevacizumab can reduce the corneal NV, reducing conjunctival inflammation and supporting restoration of a stable ocular surface that is able to counteract graft failure, with no toxicity for the transplanted LSC. Keywords: stem cells, bevacizumab, limbal stem cell deficiency, transplantation |
