Choroidal neovascularisation complicating geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration. Issue 12 (17th October 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Querques, Giuseppe; Massamba, Nathalie; Coscas, Florence; Forte, Raimondo; Souied, Eric H
• Is Part Of: British journal of ophthalmology. Volume 96:Issue 12(2012)
• Page Start: 1479
• Page End: 1483
• Publication Date: 2012-10-17
• Subjects: Retina -- Neovascularisation -- Choroid -- Imaging -- Macula; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-302191
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1161

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To investigate the morphological and functional outcomes after intravitreal ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) complicating geographic atrophy (GA). Design: Retrospective, interventional, consecutive case series. Methods: We reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients with GA due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), who received intravitreal ranibizumab injections for the development of CNV at least 24 months earlier. Results: 21 treatment-naive eyes of 21 consecutive patients (4 men, 17 women, mean age 86.9±1.6 years) were included. In 95.2% of eyes a type 2 CNV was present, extrafoveal in 42.8% of cases. After a mean of 5.0±0.87 (range 1–20) intravitreal ranibizumab injections, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) significantly worsened at the 24-month follow-up visit (0.73±0.05 vs 0.88±0.08 logMAR, respectively; p=0.01). A significant reduction of intraretinal cystic lesions, subretinal fluid and pigment epithelium detachment (p<0.001) and a significant increase of GA area (p=0.003) were present at last visit. Conclusions: Ranibizumab treatment of GA-associated CNVs provides no BCVA improvement at 24 months follow-up despite an anatomic response of CNV. Low effectiveness of ranibizumab in these cases is likely due to GA progression.