title: Intravitreal bevacizumab for the treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify the potential efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections for the treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four consecutive patients affected by RAP at different stages and refractory to photodynamic therapy (PDT). All patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fluorescein and indocyanine green angiographies, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at baseline, and after one, three, six, nine, and 12 months. All patients received IVB injections (1.25 mg/0.05 ml).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The best functional response has been achieved in patients with RAP at stages 1 and 2; whereas in stage 3, a detectable recovery of visual acuity was not observed. This improvement was stable over the follow-up period with a concomitant reduction of macular thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of IVB in patients affected by RAP seems to exert morphologic benefits at all RAP stages that does not always correspond a functional improvement.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze per la Salute, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costagliola
authors.forename: Mario R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: dell'Omo
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cipollone
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polisena
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D007267:Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D004396:Coloring Agents; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D007208:Indocyanine Green