The Efficacy of Ranibizumab for Choroidal Neovascularization in Age-related Macular Degeneration

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To report 1-year clinical changes in visual acuity (VA) after intravitreal ranibizumab therapy for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and to determine differences in treatment effects according to the CNV subtype. METHODS: Forty six patients (46 eyes) with subfoveal CNV were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5 mg) injections as needed. Visual acuity, fluorescein angiography, and macular OCT were examined after 12 months. The patients were divided into two groups Classic CNV and occult CNV. The VA of the two groups was compared 12 months after the initial injections. RESULTS: The average VA and mean central retinal thickness (CRT) before ranibizumab treatment was 1.011+/-0.408 logMAR and 335.3 microm, respectively, and the VA and mean CRT 12 months after the initial injections was 0.928+/-0.357 logMAR and 246.2 microm, respectively (p=0.042, p<0.001). Out of 46 eyes, 13 eyes (28.3%) had a VA that improved by more than 0.1 logMAR, 33 eyes (71.7%) had VA that changed less than 0.1 logMAR, and 40 eyes (86.6%) had a VA that changed by less than 0.3 logMAR. The VA improved to 0.084 logMAR in classic CNV (18 eyes) and to 0.081 logMAR in occult CNV (28 eyes) after 12 months, though the difference between groups was not significant (p=0.910). CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab is an effective treatment for patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to AMD to improve or stabilize VA, and the effect of treatment on VA is not significantly different according to the CNV subtype.