Influence of Vitreomacular Adhesion on Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) on the outcome of antiangiogenic treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Ninety-nine eyes of 83 patients were used in our cohort study. We prospectively evaluated best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) in patients with neovascular AMD at baseline and 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. All patients were stratified by spectral domain optical coherence tomography into 2 groups (i.e., VMA[+] and VMA[-]) according to the presence or absence of VMA, and the response to treatment was evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-four eyes (54.5%) were included in the VMA(-) group and 45 eyes (45.5%) comprised the VMA(+) group. In paired comparisons of mean BCVA between baseline and each follow-up visit (1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months), the VMA(-) group showed statistically significant improvement at 1, 2, and 3 months compared to baseline, and BCVA significantly improved only at 3 months in the VMA(+) group. For both groups, paired comparisons of CRT showed a statistically significant decrease when data obtained at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months were compared to baseline values (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Posterior VMA is associated with a worse short-term outcome in patients with neovascular AMD treated with anti-VEGF agents.

[Characteristics of patients with pterygium in the Botucatu region]. / Características de portadores de pterígio na região de Botucatu.

PURPOSE: To determine the characteristics of patients with conjunctival pterygia in the Botucatu region (São Paulo State). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the gender, occupation, complaints and lesion characteristics (primary or recurrent lesion, size, involutive or pulpous) of patients with pterygium. The data were submitted to statistical analysis. RESULTS: Approximately half of the patients were female and over 40 years old. The main complaint was the esthetic effect of the lesion. The majority of the lesions were primary (77.08%), grade 2 (69.6%) and pulpous (86.7%). Pterygium grade 4 was present in the 1.4% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Most patients were female, over 40 years old. Primary, grade 2 and pulpous lesion was the most frequently observed. Blindness caused by pterygium is still present in Brazil.