Retinal pigment epithelium tears after intravitreal bevacizumab in pigment epithelium detachment.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate pigment epithelium detachment (PED) secondary to exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab with regard to incidence of retinal pigment epithelium tears (RIPs).


METHODS
Retrospective, interventional case series.


METHODS
Institutional study of 31 eyes with PED in exudative AMD receiving intravitreal bevacizumab. Main outcome measures were Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity, PED vascularization and size measured by angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, and incidence of RIP.


RESULTS
Vision improved in six eyes and remained stable in 22 eyes (follow-up, 12.3 +/- 10.3 weeks). Twenty-eight eyes showed a vascularized PED. Four eyes (12.9%) experienced an RIP without vision loss. All RIP cases were vascularized in more than 50% of total lesion size.


CONCLUSIONS
In short-term follow-up, the risk for RIP after bevacizumab injection in eyes with PED seems to be moderately, but not statistically significantly, increased in PED lesions vascularized more than 50%.
Department of Ophthalmology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. aweinberger@ukaachen.de
Andreas W A
AW
Weinberger
Mirjam
M
Thiel
Babak
B
Mohammadi
Ioannis
I
Theofylaktopoulos
Gabriele
G
Thumann
Peter
P
Walter
D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab