Familial trends in a population with macular holes.

PURPOSE: To determine if patients with macular hole report an increased family history of macular hole compared with control patients and compare the report of family history between patients with unilateral and bilateral macular holes. METHODS: This was a multicenter case-control study. Charts of patients coded with diagnosis of macular hole were reviewed, and the diagnosis of idiopathic full-thickness macular hole was ascertained in 166 patients. The control group comprised 136 patients without macular hole or trauma who presented with senile cataract. Family history was obtained from all patients through a telephone interview. RESULTS: Six of 166 (3.6%) macular hole patients surveyed reported a history of macular hole in a primary relative compared with none of 136 (0.0%) control patients (odds ratio is infinity, with 95% confidence interval 1.295 to infinity); however, this finding may be explained by confounders such as age and number of family members. Two of the 142 (1.4%) patients with unilateral holes versus 4 of the 24 (16.7%) patients with bilateral holes reported a family history (odds ratio is 0.0714, with 95% confidence interval 0.0063 to 0.5537), and this finding remains significant when logistic regression is performed to evaluate variables of age and number of family members as potential confounders. CONCLUSION: There is an increased report of familial occurrence of macular hole in patients with macular holes compared with control patients; however, logistic regression relates this finding to variables of age and number of family members. Patients with bilateral macular holes are more likely to report a family history of macular hole than patients with unilateral macular holes, and this finding remains significant in the presence of age and number of family members. These findings may suggest a familial component to macular hole.

Ranibizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a phase I/II multicenter, controlled, multidose study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess safety of repeated intravitreal injections of ranibizumab in treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and to assess changes in visual acuity (VA) and AMD lesion characteristics. DESIGN: Multicenter, controlled, open-label, clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-four patients with subfoveal predominantly or minimally classic AMD-related choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: In part 1, subjects were randomized to monthly intravitreal ranibizumab for 3 months (4 injections of 0.3 mg or 1 injection of 0.3 mg followed by 3 injections of 0.5 mg; n = 53) or usual care (UC; n = 11). In part 2, subjects could continue their regimen for 3 additional months or cross over to the alternative treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adverse events (AEs), intraocular pressure (IOP), VA, and lesion characteristics assessed by fluorescein angiography and fundus photography. RESULTS: Of the 64 randomized subjects, 62 completed the 6-month study. Twenty of 25 subjects (80%) randomized to 0.3 mg, and 22 of 28 subjects (79%) randomized to 0.5-mg ranibizumab in part 1 continued on that treatment in part 2; 9 of 11 (82%) subjects randomized to UC in part 1 crossed over to ranibizumab treatment in part 2. The most common AEs with ranibizumab were reversible inflammation and minor injection-site hemorrhages. Serious AEs were iridocyclitis, endophthalmitis, and central retinal vein occlusion (1 subject each). Postinjection, IOP increased transiently in 22.6% of ranibizumab-treated eyes in parts 1 and 2. After 4 ranibizumab injections (day 98), mean (+/- standard deviation) VA had increased 9.4+/-13.3 and 9.1+/-17.2 letters in the 0.3- and 0.5-mg groups, respectively, but had decreased 5.1+/-9.6 letters with UC. In part 2 (day 210), VA increased from baseline 12.8+/-14.7 and 15.0+/-14.2 letters in subjects continuing on 0.3 and 0.5 mg, respectively. Visual acuity improved from baseline > or =15 letters in 26% (day 98) and 45% (day 210) of subjects initially randomized to and continuing on ranibizumab, respectively, and areas of leakage and subretinal fluid decreased. No UC subject had a > or =15-letter improvement at day 98. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated intravitreal injections of ranibizumab had a good safety profile and were associated with improved VA and decreased leakage from choroidal neovascularization in subjects with neovascular AMD.