Abstract
Purpose: :
Retinal angiomatous proliferations (RAP) constitute a distinct entity of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), often misinterpreted as occult or minimal classic choroidal neovascularisations (CNV). Because of the developing retinal-choroidal anastomoses with high blood flow, therapy was often unrewarding with progression or recurrences of the RAP. The purpose of this work is to describe long-term functional and morphological outcome of patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab.
Methods: :
Retrospective case series of seventeen patients with RAP. After informed consent, all patients received initially three intravitreal bevacizumab injections (1,25mg/0,1ml) every 4 weeks. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 9 months after the third injection (mean 3,76 months) and comprised best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ophthalmologic examination, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography.
Results: :
Triple intravitreal bevacizumab injections resulted in a stabilisation of BCVA during the first three months (logMAR 0,88 before treatment and 0,82 at month 3). Mean BCVA increased by one line (logMAR 0,73) two to three months after the upload phase. 5 patients (29,4%) needed retreatment at months 5 or 6, two of them were also retreated at month 9. Central retinal thickness in OCT regressed slightly but did not reach statistical significane and was maintained over time.
Keywords: retinal neovascularization • vascular endothelial growth factor • age-related macular degeneration