Abstract
Purpose: :
To analyse the time intervals for recurrence of choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) activity in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab to elucidate the question of intra-individual periodical activity.
Methods: :
Thirty-two patients with neovascular AMD and at least two recurrences of CNV activity after treatment with ranibizumab were included into the study. All patients initially received 3 monthly injections of ranibizumab. Patients received no treatment when CNV was inactive at follow-up. Re-treatment was performed with additional 3 injections, once recurrent CNV activity was detected. Dates of ranibizumab injections and time intervals were retrospectively collected for all cases. In patients with multiple recurrences of CNV activity during follow-up, periodical activity was assumed, if at least two recurrences occurred within a time interval of +/- 1 month.
Results: :
The mean frequency of recurrent CNV activity was 2.7 and the recurrence-free intervals ranged from 1 to 14 months. Twenty of 32 patients (62.5%) showed a periodical activity and 12 of 32 patients (37.5%) showed irregular activity. Although the difference between those groups was not statistically significant, it showed a trend (p=0,079).
Conclusions: :
Preliminary data indicate a trend towards periodical recurrence of CNV activity in neovascular AMD after treatment with ranibizumab. Further studies need to show, if patients with periodical recurrences may benefit from prophylactic injections of ranibizumab to avoid a recurrence and increase cost-effectiveness.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications