INTRAVITREAL RANIBIZUMAB FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN ANGIOID STREAKS: FOUR YEARS FOLLOW-UP

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze retrospectively the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab injections for the management of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with angioid streaks over a long-term.

Methods: This is a nonrandomized, double-center, retrospective, interventional case series. A consecutive series of patients affected with CNV associated with angioid streaks were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab injections (0.5 mg/0.05 mL). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography (FA) were examined before and after treatment. The primary endpoint was the percentage of eyes with stable/improved visual acuity at the end of follow-up (loss of less than 3 ETDRS lines). Secondary endpoints were the percentage of eyes with stable/decreased macular thickness on OCT (less than a 10% increase in macular thickness), and the percentage of eyes with persistent leakage on FA at the last observation carried forward.

Results: Thirty-five eyes of 27 patients were treated with repeated intravitreal ranibizumab injections (mean of 9.9 +/- 7.2 injections, range 2-26) for a mean of 48.6 +/- 17.1 months (range 8-66). At the end of follow-up, BCVA was stabilized or improved in 22/35 eyes (62.9 %). Macular thickness had stabilized/decreased in 16/35 eyes (45.7%). At the last follow-up examination, on FA, no further leakage was observed in 27/35 eyes (77.1%).

Conclusions: In this large series of patients with angioid streaks-associated CNV followed for 4 years, ranibizumab injections allowed stabilization of BCVA in most eyes. Ranibizumab appears as an effective therapeutic option in CNV associated with angioid streaks over long time.

Keywords: 453 choroid: neovascularization • 688 retina