Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the treatment effect of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) monotherapy in eyes with myopic degeneration associated with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
Methods: :
In this consecutive, interventional case-series, 18 eyes of 16 patients with myopic CNV were included. All patients received intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (ranibizumab or bevacizumab). Retreatments were performed based on OCT and clinical findings and/or FA in monthly interval. Snellen visual acuity test, high-definition optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography (FA) were performed before initial treatment and at the end of follow-up time. Changes in baseline visual acuity, central retinal thickness (CRT) and retreatment-rate were analyzed. A safety assessment was performed at all visits.
Results: :
Mean age of the patients was 65±15 years. Patients were followed up for 3 to 23 months (mean of 11.4±5.7). Mean visual acuity was significantly improved from 0.23 ± 0.15 (range:0.01-0.6) at baseline to 0.38 ± 0.20 (range:0.01-0.7) at the end of follow-up period (p=0.036). At baseline 65% of eyes and at the end of follow-up time 78% of eyes had a visual acuity better than 20/200. However, non significant decreasing in mean central thickness was observed (250±90 µm at baseline and 220±70µm at the end of follow-up, p=0.70). Anti-VEGF treatmentrate was 2.7±1.9.
Conclusions: :
Intravitreal anti-VEGF monotherapy shows promising results in the treatment of myopic CNV. Although non significant change with regard to central retinal thickness was observed, the mean visual acuity increase significantly during mean of about 12 month’s follow-up time.
Keywords: myopia • neovascularization • retina