• Inflammation

We appreciate the interest of Muhammad Raja et al in our article and would like to thank them for their useful contribution. We read with interest their similar findings in one patient they have treated with bevacizumab (Avastin) who also developed an inflammatory reaction and was subsequently treated with ranibizumab (Lucentis) without problems.

To date, three of our patients were treated with Lucentis following their Avastin-related inflammation. One patient (case 2) has received Lucentis four times, and visual acuity could be stabilised during the following 2 years. One patient (case 5) has received Lucentis twice with a significant improvement in visual acuity to 0.4 Snellen (20/50). One patient (case 6) has received Lucentis once with stabilisation of visual acuity. One patient (case 8) was treated by grid-laser due to persistent macular oedema. All patients were monitored carefully and did not show any adverse reaction to their subsequent treatments. The remaining patients did not receive further treatments.

Safety issues remain a major theme1 for these frequently performed procedures, and it is important to communicate complications with the scientific community also in the future.