Five-year Outcomes of Ranibizumab in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration: Real Life Clinical Experience

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of 5-year ranibizumab treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in a single center and real life clinical setting. METHODS: The records of nAMD patients who were treated with ranibizumab between January 2010 and June 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who completed 5 years of follow-up were included. Main outcome measures were change in best-corrected visual acuity, central retinal thickness, and visit and injection numbers. RESULTS: Forty-four eyes of 37 patients were included. Mean best-corrected visual acuity decreased from 0.82 ± 0.69 to 1.11 ± 0.65 logarithm of minimal angle of resolution after 5 years. Twenty-four eyes (54.5%) had visual acuity loss ≥3 lines, and 20 eyes (45.5%) had stable or improved vision (loss <3 lines, remained stable, or gained ≥1 line) at month 60. The mean total number of visits was 25.3 ± 5.8 (range, 14 to 42), and the mean total number of injections was 12.6 ± 6.4 (range, 3 to 26) at month 60. CONCLUSIONS: Half of the ranibizumab-treated nAMD patients maintained their vision during the 5 years of follow-up. Visit and injection numbers were found to be lower than in prospective studies, reflecting a real world clinical practice.

Intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to morning glory syndrome in a child

Congenital optic nerve abnormalities may rarely cause choroidal neovascularization [CNV]. This case report summarizes the clinical and therapeutic outcomes of a 7-year-old boy with unilateral CNV secondary to morning glory syndrome associated with acute visual acuity loss. The patient was successfully treated with a single intravitreal ranibizumab injection. One month after the injection the visual acuity increased and optic coherence tomography [OCT] showed a decrease in the intraretinal fluid around the CNV. The patient was then called for monthly follow-up visits. No further treatment was needed for the next 12 months after the first treatment. There was no complication related to the injection

case of nodular posterior scleritis mimicking choroidal mass

The aim of this study is to report clinical and imaging findings, and treatment outcomes of a patient with nodular posterior scleritis. A 41-year-old woman was diagnosed as nodular posterior scleritis in the light of clinical and imaging findings. At first admission best corrected visual acuity was 20/50 in her right eye. Fundus examination revealed an amelanotic subretinal mass under the superior temporal arcade associated with subretinal fluid surrounding it. B-scan ultrasonography, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography findings confirmed the diagnosis. As treatment, nepafenac eye drops 3 times a day, and flurbiprofen tablet 100 mg twice a day were prescribed. After 4 weeks of treatment, the ocular pain was relieved, BCVA improved to 20/20, and subretinal mass totally regressed. Although the diagnosis of nodular posterior scleritis may be confusing, it has to be kept in mind in patients with a subretinal/choroidal mass. Multimodal fundus imaging may be helpful in differential diagnosis. The condition is usually curable with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or systemic steroids

Detailed ophthalmologic evaluation of posterior microphthalmos

We performed various ophthalmic investigations in order to confirm the diagnosis and document the various features of posterior microphthalmos in a 21-year-old male. Ophthalmic examination revealed low vision with high hyperopia, papillomacular folds, midperipheral pigmentary changes and crowded optic discs. The optic discs were small and crowded with increased nerve fiber layer thickness. Fundus fluorescein angiography showed reduced diameter of a capillary free zone. Anterior segment [AS] optical coherence tomography demonstrated near normal anterior chamber depths, but markedly diminished anterior chamber angles. In spite of the increased corneal thickness and steep corneas, lens thickness and endothelial cell counts were normal. Sclerochoroidal thickening and foreshortening of the globes were detected with B-scan ultrasonography. Electroretinographic findings and visual field tests were similar to those in pigmentary retinopathy. Posterior microphthalmos is a complex eye disorder, which affects predominantly the posterior segment but also involves the AS of the eye.

Intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularization secondary to angioid streaks: a report of two patients

The aim of this study is to report clinical course of choroidal neovascularization secondary to angioid streaks [AS] in two patients who underwent intravitreal bevacizumab therapy. Fundus examination, fluorescein angiography [FA] and optical coherence tomography [OCT] revealed the diagnosis of subfoveal classic choroidal neovascularization [CNV] in the right eye in patient 1 and in the left eye in patient 2. After three consecutive bevacizumab injections, visual acuity improved from 20/40 to 20/25 in patient 1 and from 20/80 to 20/50 in patient 2. After 3 months of therapy, additional bevacizumab injection was administered when the lesion showed recurrence. After a follow-up time of 24-months, patient 1 received 14 intravitreal bevacizumab injections; patient 2 received only 4 injections. Visual acuities remained stable at 20/32 and 20/50 in patient 1 and patient 2, respectively. Though, the patients of CNV secondary to AS showed similar clinical appearance at the beginning, this report provides the data for different responses to intravitreal bevacizumab therapy. While fewer injections were required to control the disease in one patient, the other patient needed much more injections for stabilization of the CNV. Further studies are required to understand the cause of varied treatment responses in those patients

Long term result of intravitreal bevacizumab in a patient newly transformed to proliferative macular telangiectasia type 2

The clinical and imaging findings and therapeutic outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in a patient with macular telangiectasia type 2 are described. The patient first presented with the non-proliferative stage of the disease for 4 months, then the disease transformed to the proliferative stage. In the proliferative period, the patient was treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injections as-clinically warranted. Over a follow up period lasting 26 months, the patient received 6 intravitreal bevacizumab injections, the visual acuity improved from 20/100 to 20/40, the central retinal thickness decreased from 318 microns to 198 microns. This case implies that the patients with non-proliferative macular telangiectasia type 2 should be followed carefully for proliferative transformation, and intravitreal bevacizumab treatment seems to be effective for proliferative macular telangiectasia type 2