Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Intralesional Bevacizumab in Dermatology: Insights from a Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody specifically targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In addition to cancer and ophthalmology, bevacizumab has other off-label uses. Among these, the treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and hemangioma can be mentioned. Objectives: Although there are reports of successful treatments by bevacizumab, there is no systematic review on the topical use of this medication in dermatology. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate this topic. Methods: A systematic search on topical bevacizumab was done with MeSh-based keywords on online databases of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in December 2022. The records were evaluated, and the eligible articles were selected. Results: We reviewed related studies, and the disease name, treatment protocol (injection dosage and intervals), outcomes, and complications were summarized for conclusions. Conclusions: In this study, we systematically reviewed related papers and summarized the use of bevacizumab in dermatology in four categories, including hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, vascular malformation, vascular proliferation, and others (lichen planus, and basal cell carcinoma).