Yong Tao1, Jost B Jonas. 1. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess an association between specific types of subfoveal neovascularization and the change in visual acuity after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland) as treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: This retrospective clinical interventional comparative study included 307 patients (378 eyes) who received 3 consecutive intravitreal injections of bevacizumab at intervals of 2 months each. The study group was divided into eyes with a predominantly or purely classic type of subfoveal neovascular membrane (n = 81), those with an occult type with or without minimally classic subfoveal neovascularization (n = 232), and eyes with a detachment of the retinal pigment epithelium (n = 65). RESULTS: The gain in best-corrected visual acuity did not vary significantly among the 3 subgroups at 2 months after baseline (P = 0.35 and P = 0.27), at 4 months after baseline (P = 0.63 and P = 0.56), or at the final follow-up at 7 months after baseline (P = 0.85 and P = 0.76). In multivariate linear regression analysis, the gain in best-corrected visual acuity at the final follow-up was significantly associated with the best-corrected visual acuity at baseline (P < 0.001). It was not significantly associated with age (P = 0.61), sex (P = 0.12), self-reported diabetes (P = 0.79), lens status (P = 0.84), or type of subfoveal neovascularization (P = 0.53). CONCLUSION: After an intravitreal application of bevacizumab given as therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration at 2-month intervals, the patient's gain in visual acuity did not depend on the type of the subfoveal neovascular membranes.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess an association between specific types of subfoveal neovascularization and the change in visual acuity after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland) as treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: This retrospective clinical interventional comparative study included 307 patients (378 eyes) who received 3 consecutive intravitreal injections of bevacizumab at intervals of 2 months each. The study group was divided into eyes with a predominantly or purely classic type of subfoveal neovascular membrane (n = 81), those with an occult type with or without minimally classic subfoveal neovascularization (n = 232), and eyes with a detachment of the retinal pigment epithelium (n = 65). RESULTS: The gain in best-corrected visual acuity did not vary significantly among the 3 subgroups at 2 months after baseline (P = 0.35 and P = 0.27), at 4 months after baseline (P = 0.63 and P = 0.56), or at the final follow-up at 7 months after baseline (P = 0.85 and P = 0.76). In multivariate linear regression analysis, the gain in best-corrected visual acuity at the final follow-up was significantly associated with the best-corrected visual acuity at baseline (P < 0.001). It was not significantly associated with age (P = 0.61), sex (P = 0.12), self-reported diabetes (P = 0.79), lens status (P = 0.84), or type of subfoveal neovascularization (P = 0.53). CONCLUSION: After an intravitreal application of bevacizumab given as therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration at 2-month intervals, the patient's gain in visual acuity did not depend on the type of the subfoveal neovascular membranes.