Retinal pigment epithelial tear after ranibizumab therapy for subfoveal fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the unusual complication of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tear after intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis) for subfoveal fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and its effective management.


METHODS
Chart review for case report of RPE tear after ranibizumab.


RESULTS
An inferior RPE tear was documented by fluorescein angiography, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) 1 month after receiving repeat ranibizumab injection in the right eye of a patient with bilateral subfoveal fibrovascular PED. He had undergone multiple bevacizumab followed by ranibizumab injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in both eyes, starting 6 months previously. Subsequent antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy improved vision of right eye from 20/200 to 20/40, despite RPE tear.


CONCLUSIONS
RPE tear may form after anti-VEGF therapy, including ranibizumab injection. Further anti-VEGF therapy may preserve or improve vision. To the authors' knowledge, this is first case report of effective suppression of neovascular activity with bevacizumab after an RPE tear following ranibizumab therapy.
Chan
C K
CK
Southern California Desert Retina Consultants, Palm Springs, CA 92263, USA. cchan@desertretina.com
Lin
S G
SG
D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab