title: RPE-rip after intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment for vascularised PED secondary to AMD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)-rips in age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-associated pigment epithelial detachment (PED) occur in the natural course of the disease but also after therapy (e.g. laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy), possibly triggered by the specific therapy. We report here on four patients that received intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for AMD-associated vascularised PED and developed RPE-rips during the follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case reports of four consecutive patients that developed RPE-rips after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab at 1 mg/0.1 ml were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RPE-rips occurred in all patients between 1 week and 1 month following intravitreal injection. Two of the four patients improved in vision despite the rip, but 3 months after the initial intervention, three patients suffered deterioration in visual acuity and had to be re-injected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in visual acuity may occur following intravitreal bevacizumab despite RPE-rips, but the patients need close follow-up and eventual re-treatment in the case of deterioration.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic, Franz-Josef-Strauss Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. gamulescu@eye-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Maria Andreea
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gamulescu
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Framme
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sachs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab