title: Early clinical experience with ranibizumab for occult and minimally classic neovascular membranes in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In large randomized multicenter trials, ranibizumab has shown its therapeutic efficacy for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The aim of this paper is to report the real-life clinical experience with this treatment for occult and minimally classic membranes without pigment epithelium detachment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective chart review of 37 patients with occult and minimally classic neovascular membranes in AMD, without pigment epithelium detachment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean visual improvement of 2 lines at 3, 6 and 9 months corresponds well with the results of the large trials. A mean number of 5 reinjections was reached by month 8. It may potentially exceed the mean 5.5 injections of the PrONTO study (prospective optical coherence tomography imaging of patients with neovascular AMD treated with intraocular ranibizumab). At months 6-8 recurrence was frequently observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The early experience of ranibizumab in clinical practice brings similarly good results as the large-scale trials. However, interrupting the treatment too early may be a disadvantage.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. irmela.mantel@ophtal.vd.ch
authors.forename: Irmela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mantel
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zografos
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambresin
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; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab