Intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularisation in serpiginous choroiditis. Issue 4 (10th January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parodi, M Battaglia; Iacono, P; La Spina, C; Knutsson, K A; Mansour, A; Arevalo, J F; Bandello, F
• Is Part Of: British journal of ophthalmology. Volume 98:Issue 4(2014)
• Page Start: 519
• Page End: 522
• Publication Date: 2014-01-10
• Subjects: Retina -- Neovascularisation; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2013-304237
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1161

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: To assess the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to serpiginous choroiditis (SC). Design: Non-randomised, interventional case series. Participants: Seven patients (seven eyes) affected by juxtafoveal CNV (six eyes) and subfoveal CNV (one eye) associated with SC were recruited. Methods: Each patient underwent an ophthalmological examination, including measurement of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). After a first IVB injection (1.25 mg), patients were evaluated monthly over a 12-month follow-up. Further re-treatments were performed on the basis of detection of any type of fluid on OCT and/or presence of leakage on FA. The primary outcome considered was the median change in BCVA, as well as the proportion of eyes gaining at least 5 and 10 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters at the end of the 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included median changes in central macular thickness (CMT) and number of injections over the planned follow-up. Results: Median BCVA changed from 0.3 to 0.4 LogMAR. A functional improvement of at least 5 and 10 ETDRS letters was obtained in two eyes (28%) and one eye (14%), respectively, at the 12-month examination. Four eyes (57%) had stable BCVA, whereas one eye (14%) experienced a two-line decrease. Median CMT at baseline was 261 μm, decreasing to 196 μm at the 12-month examination. The median number of IVB injections was 1 in 12 months. Conclusions: IVB can achieve anatomical stabilisation of CNV secondary to SC, avoiding a decline in visual acuity, in almost 90% of cases over a 12-month follow-up.