Intravitreous bevacizumab to treat subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in highly myopic eyes: short-term results.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the anatomical and visual outcome of subfoveal and juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in highly myopic eyes treated by intravitreal bevacizumab.


METHODS
Prospective, nonrandomized, multicentric, interventional pilot study. Twenty-six highly myopic eyes from 25 patients with subfoveal and juxtafoveal CNV were treated by three monthly intravitreal injections with 1.25 mg bevacizumab. Patients were evaluated for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography at baseline and then monthly. Fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline and at month 3.


RESULTS
Patients averaged 49.5 years of age (SD 16.0, range 29-82). Five patients were male and 20 were female. BCVA at baseline averaged 20/62 (range 20/200-20/32) and 20/38 (range 20/160-20/20) at month 6. Average central foveal thickness was 282.4 microm (SD 68.3, range 168-447) at baseline and 224.0 microm (SD 46, range 132-294) at month 6. Fifteen eyes were naïve for treatment and 11 eyes had been previously treated by photodynamic therapy (PDT) (average 2.5 PDT sessions). Leakage from CNV had ceased in all eyes at month 3 and CNV was still closed at month 6. Neither ocular nor systemic safety issues appeared during the follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal bevacizumab seems to be an effective and safe therapeutic procedure to treat subfoveal and juxtafoveal CNV in highly myopic eyes. Further studies are required to verify the efficacy and usefulness of this therapy compared with established treatments for this condition.
Department of Ophthalmology, Albacete Medical School, Castilla la Mancha University, Spain. jm.ruiz@umh.es
J M
JM
Ruiz-Moreno
F
F
Gomez-Ulla
J A
JA
Montero
S
S
Ares
F
F
Lopez-Lopez
M
M
Rodriguez
M
M
Fernandez
D000328:Adult; 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; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D056965:Injections, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab