Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration: results from 118 cases

• Published in: British journal of ophthalmology 2007-12, Vol.91 (12), p.1716-1717
• Main Authors: Madhusudhana, K C, Hannan, S R, Williams, C P R, Goverdhan, S V, Rennie, C, Lotery, A J, Luff, A J, Newsom, R S B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal - therapeutic use; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Bevacizumab; Choroidal Neovascularization - complications; Choroidal Neovascularization - drug therapy; Choroidal Neovascularization - physiopathology; Diabetic retinopathy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Injections; Letters; Macula Lutea; Macular degeneration; Macular Degeneration - complications; Macular Degeneration - diagnosis; Male; Middle Aged; Occult sciences; Patients; Retrospective Studies; Studies; Tomography; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Visual Acuity; Vitreous Body
• ISSN: 0007-1161; 1468-2079
• DOI: 10.1136/bjo.2006.108639

Several vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors have recently been studied as treatments for neovascular AMD. 1 2 Pegaptanib sodium improved visual acuity in 6% of patients at one year; 1 Ranibizumab 0.5 mg improved vision by three lines in 33% of patients at one year. 2 Michels et al. 3 initially reported the use of intravenous bevacizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), and others have found visual improvement and reduction in macular thickness with intravitreal bevacizumab. 4 - 8 We present the results from 118 cases treated with intravitreal bevacizumab based at a single centre. Demographic details Numbers Age, mean (range) 78.7 (50-93) Male : female 46 : 69 Lesion subtypes (n = 118) Classic CNV 10 Predominantly classic CNV 10 Minimally classic CNV 15 Occult CNV 74 Peripapillary CNV* 3 Unknown/unclassified 6 Average baseline visual acuity Snellen acuity 6/30 ETDRS letters (mean ± SD) 48.5 ± 15.6 LogMAR vision (mean ± SD) 0.73 ± 0.31 CMT (mean ± SD) 346.3 ± 79.3 μm CMT, Central macular thickness; CNV, choroidal neovascularization; ETDRS, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study; logMAR, logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution; SD, standard deviation. *With or without subfoveal extension.