Abstract
Purpose: :
: To assess the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) injections in the treatment of choroideal neovascularization (CNV) associated with pattern distrophy (PD) of the retinal pigment epithelium.
Methods: :
Prospective interventional case series. Patients with PD complicated by CNV were considered. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including ETDRS visual acuity, electroretinogram, electrooculogram, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography. The protocol required 3 monthly consecutive injections, followed by repeat injections over the 12-month follow-up on the basis of OCT parameters, angiographic features, visual acuity response.
Results: :
Eight patients were enrolled in the study and prospectively followed up. Mean visual acuity and mean foveal thickness (FT) at the baseline were 0.74±0.42 (logMAR±SD) and 277±117µm SD, respectively. At three-month examination, mean visual acuity improved to 0.51±0.31 and mean FT decreased to 225±88µm SD. At 12-month examination, mean visual acuity was 0.49±0.26, and mean FT 222±87µm. No side-effect or complication was registered.
Conclusions: :
Intravitreal bevacizumab seems to be a beneficial treatment for CNV associated with PD in a short term follow-up. However, a longer follow-up is necessary to validate our results, bearing in mind that CNV related to PD is a quite rare association, and that a randomized clinical trial on this topic is unlikely.
Keywords: choroid: neovascularization • retinal degenerations: hereditary