Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the visual and anatomical outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab in patients with idiopathic choroidal neovascularization.
Methods:
Twenty seven eyes of 27 patients with idiopathic choroidal neovascularization were treated with a single intravitreal injection of bevacizumab, followed by as-needed dosing based on spectral domain-optical coherence tomography findings including intraretinal edema, subretinal fluid, or pigment epithelial detachment. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness, and subfoveal choroidal thickness were evaluated. The subfoveal choroidal thickness of the normal fellow eye were measured for comparative analysis. 17 eyes for normal control were collected for comparative analysis of subfoveal choroidal thickenss.
Results:
The mean number of injections was 2.74 (±2.30) for 27 eyes during the mean follow-up of 11.48 (±11.47) months. The mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA improved from 0.36 ± 0.32 to 0.23 ± 0.28 (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test; p=0.09). The meal central foveal thickness decreased from 375.20 ± 93.40 μm to 264.79 ± 29.38 μm (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test; p<0.0001) At presentation, the subfoveal choroidal thickness of affected eyes was significantly thinner than the subfoveal choroidal thickness of the unaffected fellow eye (255.94 ± 39.02 vs. 283.24 ± 48.93 μm, respectively; p=0.036). When compared to the normal controls, the subfoveal choroidal thickness of affected eyes was significantly thinner (255.94 ± 39.02 vs. 274.06 ± 48.49 μm, respectively; p=0.34). No change in the subfoveal choroidal thickness was seen in the affected eye between initial and final measurements (p=0.079). Of 27 eyes, 26 (96.3%) had maintained or improved their best-corrected visual acuity at their last visit.
Conclusions:
Intravitreal bevacizumab resulted in significant visual and anatomical benefit for patients with idiopathic choroidal neoveascularization. The thin subfoveal choroidal thickness is associated with idiopathic choroidal neoveascularization.
Keywords: 453 choroid: neovascularization