Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy of bimonthly intravitreal injection of ranibizumab for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for six months.
Methods:
Three bimonthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab (0.5mg) were given to thirteen eyes with AMD and one eye with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Twelve patients did not receive any previous treatment for AMD. Two patients received previous treatment for AMD more than three months before the initial injection of ranibizumab. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central retinal subfield thickness (CRST) were measured before and monthly after the initial injection for 6 months. As the rescued treatment, intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (0.05mg) could be added at month 1, month 3 or month 5 after the initial injection if either logMAR VA decreased more than 0.3, or the CRST increased more than 100 μm. BCVA was measured with Landolt C chart and converted logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) VA and analyzed. CRST was measured using spectral-domain OCT. The average retinal thickness in the central 1-mm area was analyzed. Friedman Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance on Ranks was used to compare the difference of BCVA and CRST before and after the intravitreal injection of ranibizumab.
Results:
Twelve patients completed 3 injections while one patient denied the third injection and a rescue injection was given at month 5 in a patient because CRST increased. The mean BCVA in logMAR was 0.50 ± 0.41 at baseline, 0.46 ± 0.40 at month 1, 0.44 ± 0.38 at month 2, 0.39 ± 0.40 at month 3, 0.36 ± 0.43 at month 4, 0.37 ± 0.51 at month 5, 0.33 ± 0.44 at month 6. The BCVA improved significantly at month 4, at month 5 and at month 6 compared with baseline (all P <0.05). The mean CRST (μm) was 316 ± 60.6 at baseline, 239 ± 67.2 at month 1, 262 ± 103 at month 2, 242 ± 72.9 at month 3, 255 ± 71.9 at month 4, 256 ± 71.9 at month 5, 275 ± 91.0 at month 6. The CRST decreased significantly at month 1, at month 3 and at month 5 compared with baseline (all P <0.05). No drug or injection-related adverse event was reported.
Conclusions:
The bimonthly injection of ranibizumab for AMD may be effective and could be an option.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration •
466 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials