Aflibercept high-dose (8mg) related intraocular inflammation (IOI) – a case series

Background: Monitoring for potential inflammatory events following intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial factor (VEGF) injection is crucial with the use of new agents such as aflibercept 8 mg. Despite a safety profile comparable to aflibercept 2 mg in pivotal and phase 3 studies, reporting such cases in clinical practice helps evaluate potential risk of these agents. Case presentation: In this case series, a cluster of 8 patients manifesting acute intraocular inflammation (IOI) after intravitreal aflibercept 8 mg injection at three different centers are described. All patients developed inflammation of the vitreous and anterior chamber within 2-17 days following the injection. All subjects had previously received intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy (ranibizumab, aflibercept 2 mg or faricimab) without injection-related complications. No signs of vasculitis, papillitis or retinitis were noted. In view of the clinical presentation, vitreous cultures were not performed. Inflammation resolved with topical steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs over a course of 11-24 days with excellent visual recovery. Conclusions: We report a cluster of injection-related ocular inflammation following intravitreal aflibercept 8 mg with at present unknown cause. It underlines the need for clinical awareness to detect such cases despite the low-risk safety profile in pivotal studies.