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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter August 5, 2014

Inadvertent use of bevacizumab in pregnant women with diabetes mellitus type 1

  • Silvio Polizzi EMAIL logo , Giovanna Ferrara , Stefano Restaino , Silvia Rinaldi and Daniele Tognetto

Abstract

Background: The use of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors may cause fetal harm and systemic side effects in the mother, so these drugs are contraindicated in pregnancy. We report a case of inadvertent administration of two intravitreal bevacizumab injections in a woman with diabetes mellitus type 1, 5 days before ovulation (±3 days) and during the 5th gestational week, respectively. The patient had a past history of both miscarriage and requirement for cesarean section for preeclampsia.

Methods: Observational case report.

Results: The patient did not have any drug-related adverse event and delivered a healthy full-term infant, reaching all developmental milestones appropriately during infancy.

Conclusions: Intravitreal drug injections did not result in any detectable adverse event in the mother and infant although she had a significant past obstetric history. However, there have been no studies evaluating the effects of bevacizumab in pregnant women and suggesting that intravitreal drug injection in this patient is safe. Until more is known about this, it seems reasonable to avoid treatment with this drug a few weeks before and during pregnancy.


Corresponding author: Silvio Polizzi, University Eye Clinic of Trieste – Ophthalmology, Piazza Dell’ Ospitale 1, Trieste 34129, Italy, E-mail:

Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ conflict of interest disclosure: The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Research funding: None declared.

Employment or leadership: None declared.

Honorarium: None declared.

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Received: 2014-5-15
Accepted: 2014-6-24
Published Online: 2014-8-5
Published in Print: 2015-3-1

©2014 by De Gruyter

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