Incidence of New Choroidal Neovascularization in Fellow Eyes of Patients Treated for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the development of new choroidal neovascularization in fellow eyes of patients treated for unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Three hundred fourteen patients who were first diagnosed with unilateral exudative AMD and treated with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: New exudative AMD developed in 7.0% of fellow eyes after 1 year, 10.8% after 2 years and 13.7% after more than 2 years. According to the subtype of exudative AMD, there were no significant differences between classic CNV, occult or minimally classic CNV, and PCV in the incidence of new exudative AMD. After 2 years, a higher conversion rate was found in the bevacizumab-treated group than the ranibizumab-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative incidence of involvement in fellow eyes with exudative AMD was 13.7% over 2 years.