Treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes with systemic interferon-alpha 2a.
Systemic interferon-alpha has recently been reported to be useful in the treatment of choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVM) in age-related macular degeneration. To further investigate its effect we treated eight patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes of various aetiologies including idiopathic, age-related macular degeneration and myopic chorioretinal degeneration. Only one of the eight patients responded with an angiographically demonstrated decrease in the size of the CNVM; this was in a patient from the idiopathic group. Considerable side-effects were reported with marked lethargy and malaise limiting compliance with some patients. Although this is an initial report with limited patient numbers and follow-up, it does suggest a role for interferon-alpha in patients with idiopathic neovascular membranes where the retina is otherwise normal, but raises some doubt as to its efficacy in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000628:therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins