PURPOSE: To study the effect of intravitreal (IVT) ranibizumab on the retinal arteriolar diameter in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Ten eyes of 10 patients with previously untreated neovascular AMD were included. All eyes had three monthly IVT injections of ranibizumab and then were retreated as needed, based on visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) criteria. The diameter of the retinal arterioles was measured in vivo with a retinal vessel analyser (RVA) before the first IVT injection, 7 and 30 days after the first, the second and the third injection, and at month 12 of follow-up. RESULTS: A significant vasoconstriction of the retinal arterioles was observed following each one of the first three IVT injections of ranibizumab. Thirty days following the first, second and third injection, there was a mean decrease of 8.4 ± 3.2%, 11.9 ± 4.5% and 18.5 ± 7.2%, respectively, of the retinal arteriolar diameter compared with baseline (p < 0.01). At month 12, the vasoconstriction was still present with a mean decrease of 19.1 ± 8.3% of the retinal arteriolar diameter compared with baseline (p < 0.01). Median number of ranibizumab injections was 4 (range 3-10). There was no correlation between the number of injections and percentage diameter decrease at month 12 (r = -0.54, p > 0.1). There was no significant change in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during the period of follow-up (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that IVT ranibizumab induces sustained retinal arteriolar vasoconstriction in eyes with neovascular AMD.
PURPOSE: To study the effect of intravitreal (IVT) ranibizumab on the retinal arteriolar diameter in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Ten eyes of 10 patients with previously untreated neovascular AMD were included. All eyes had three monthly IVT injections of ranibizumab and then were retreated as needed, based on visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) criteria. The diameter of the retinal arterioles was measured in vivo with a retinal vessel analyser (RVA) before the first IVT injection, 7 and 30 days after the first, the second and the third injection, and at month 12 of follow-up. RESULTS: A significant vasoconstriction of the retinal arterioles was observed following each one of the first three IVT injections of ranibizumab. Thirty days following the first, second and third injection, there was a mean decrease of 8.4 ± 3.2%, 11.9 ± 4.5% and 18.5 ± 7.2%, respectively, of the retinal arteriolar diameter compared with baseline (p < 0.01). At month 12, the vasoconstriction was still present with a mean decrease of 19.1 ± 8.3% of the retinal arteriolar diameter compared with baseline (p < 0.01). Median number of ranibizumab injections was 4 (range 3-10). There was no correlation between the number of injections and percentage diameter decrease at month 12 (r = -0.54, p > 0.1). There was no significant change in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during the period of follow-up (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that IVT ranibizumab induces sustained retinal arteriolar vasoconstriction in eyes with neovascular AMD.
Authors: Angela M Carneiro; Luis S Mendonça; Manuel S Falcão; Sofia L Fonseca; Elisete M Brandão; Fernando M Falcão-Reis Journal: Clin Ophthalmol Date: 2012-07-19