An intravitreal  injection is a procedure to place a medication directly into the space in the back of the eye called the vitreous cavity, which is filled with a jelly-like fluid called the vitreous humor gel.

Intravitreal injections are used to administer medications to treat a variety of retinal conditions . Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion are the most common conditions treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF drugs.

Intravitreal steroids are used in some eyes with diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion and uveitis. The anti-VEGF drugs and steroids help to reduce fluid leakage associated with these disorders. Antibiotic, anti fungal and antiviral drugs are also used to treat patients with infections in the eye such as endophthalmitis and retinitis. In some cases an injection is used to insert a small gas bubble to aid repair of a retinal detachment.

Anti-VEGF drugs are used for ocular diseases to reduce neovascularization, vascular leakage, and scar formation. These treatments are essential in managing patients with pathologies that involve abnormal angiogenesis and vascular leakage such as neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) with diabetic macular edema (DME).