Choroidal neovascularisation complicating geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the morphological and functional outcomes after intravitreal ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) complicating geographic atrophy (GA).

DESIGN:

Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series.

METHODS:

We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with GA due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), who received intravitreal ranibizumab injections for the development of CNV at least 24 months earlier.

RESULTS:

21 treatment-naive eyes of 21 consecutive patients (4 men, 17 women, mean age 86.9 ± 1.6 years) were included. In 95.2% of eyes a type 2 CNV was present, extrafoveal in 42.8% of cases. After a mean of 5.0 ± 0.87 (range 1-20) intravitreal ranibizumab injections, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) significantly worsened at the 24-month follow-up visit (0.73 ± 0.05 vs 0.88 ± 0.08 logMAR, respectively; p=0.01). A significant reduction of intraretinal cystic lesions, subretinal fluid and pigment epithelium detachment (p<0.001) and a significant increase of GA area (p=0.003) were present at last visit.

CONCLUSIONS:

Ranibizumab treatment of GA-associated CNVs provides no BCVA improvement at 24 months follow-up despite an anatomic response of CNV. Low effectiveness of ranibizumab in these cases is likely due to GA progression.

• Authors: Giuseppe Querques, Nathalie Massamba, Florence Coscas, Raimondo Forte, Eric H Souied
• Journal: The British journal of ophthalmology (Br J Ophthalmol) Vol. 96 Issue 12 Pg. 1479-83 (Dec 2012) ISSN: 1468-2079 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23077229 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Ranibizumab

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized (administration & dosage)
• Choroidal Neovascularization (diagnosis, drug therapy, etiology)
• Female
• Fluorescein Angiography
• Follow-Up Studies
• Fundus Oculi
• Geographic Atrophy (complications, diagnosis)
• Humans
• Intravitreal Injections
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Ranibizumab
• Retrospective Studies
• Visual Acuity