2M.D. Asistant, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul/TURKEY
3M.D. Associate Professor, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul/TURKEY
4M.D. Professor, Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul/TURKEY Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after a follow-up time of 24 months.
Materials and Methods: The treatment-naive exudative AMD patients who initially received 3 consecutive monthly injections, and then were treated on an as-needed treatment regimen depending on clinical examination and optical coherence tomography findings were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were evaluated in regards of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), injection numbers, and complications.
Results: A hundred and one eyes of 94 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 73.6±8.2 years (ranging between 53 and 89 years). Forty-five patients (47.9%) were male, and 49 patients (52.1%) were female. The mean pretreatment BCVA, the mean BVCA at month 12, and 24 was 0.90±0.51 LogMAR, 0.73±0.46 LogMAR (p<0.001) and 0.75±0.49 LogMAR (p<0.001), respectively. The mean pretreatment CMT, and the mean CMT at month 12, and month 24 was 331±98 microns, 259±66 microns (p<0.0001) and 262±70 microns (p<0.0001). The mean number of injections at month 12, and 24 was 5.3±1.5, and 8.0±3.0 injections, respectively.
Conclusion: The intravitreal ranibizumab with an as needed treatment regimen seems to be effective in the treatment of exudative AMD over 24 months.
Keywords : Intravitreal injection, ranibizumab, age-related macular degeneration