Protocol:Effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (avastin) in the treatment of macular edema: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

• Cystoid macular edema (CME) is a relatively common painless condition usually accompanied by blurred vision. The prevalence of CME varied from 5% to 47% depending on cause of pathology. There are several treatments available for ME including intravitreal use of bevacizumab that has been used in different doses in few studies. However, there is still scarcity of data available on the use of bevacizumab for the treatment of ME. A systematic review is needed to provide a foundational base to discuss and synthesize the available information on the effectiveness and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab in macular edema, so that recommendations and policies can be built regarding controversial use of bevacizumab in macular edema. We have planned to perform a systematic review with an objective to compare the effects of a single injection of 1.25 mg intravitreal bevacizumab (avastin) in the improvement of visual acuity, macular edema, and thickness with other interventions/controls for the treatment of macular edema at 3 and 6 months interval using randomized controlled trials. This is only a protocol of the review and we will soon be conducting a full length review, addressing the issue shortly.
• Key words: avastin; protocol; systematic review