Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Choridal Neovascularization Secondary to Age–Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: : To report the short term anatomic and visual acuity response after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age–related macular degeneration.

Methods: : We conducted a retrospective study of patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age–related macular degeneration who were treated with at least one intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab and had a follow–up of at least 1 month. Patients underwent Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow–up visits.

Results: : There were 165 patients with a mean age of 79.9 (± 7.7) years, and a mean visual acuity of 20/200 and a mean central foveal thickness of 368 (±227) microns. Most of the patients (123, 74.5%) were failures by other means of treatment. At the one month follow–up the mean visual acuity improved to 20/150 (p<.001) and the mean central foveal thickness decreased to 264 (± 210) microns (p<.001). One patient who had a mild amount of intraocular inflammation, but no patient had intraocular hemorrhage, infection, or retinal detachment following injection.

Conclusions: : Initial treatment results of patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age–related macular degeneration did not reveal any short–term safety concerns. Intravitreal bevacizumab resulted in a significant decrease in macular edema and improvement in visual acuity at one month. The number of patients in this pilot study was limited and the follow–up is too short to make any specific treatment recommendations, but the favorable short–term results suggest further study is needed.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • choroid: neovascularization