Photodynamic therapy alone versus combined with intravitreal bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration without polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Japanese patients.
BACKGROUND
To compare 12-month results of two single initial treatments--photodynamic therapy with verteporfin alone (PDT group), and this therapy combined with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) (COMB group)--for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), not including patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) who were presumed to have AMD.


METHODS
This retrospective study evaluated 23 eyes in the PDT group and 22 eyes in the COMB group. IVB (1.25 mg) was administered within 2 weeks after PDT. Main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (VA), central foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography, and number of treatments.


RESULTS
At month 12, the PDT group had gained 0.7 letter mean VA and the COMB group, 8.8 letters (P = 0.04). Ten eyes (43%) in the PDT group and 19 eyes (86%) in the COMB group received only one treatment, and significant difference was found (P = 0.005). No severe ocular or systemic safety concerns were discovered.


CONCLUSIONS
Our 12-month results of PDT combined with IVB for Japanese patients with AMD without PCV appeared to be more effective than those of PDT alone with fewer treatments.
Hara
Ryuhei
R
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
Kawaji
Takahiro
T
Inomata
Yasuya
Y
Tahara
Jin
J
Sagara
Nina
N
Fukushima
Mikiko
M
Tanihara
Hidenobu
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D044466:Asian People; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002829:Choroid; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D056965:Injections, Intraocular; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D014822:Vitreous Body
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin; D000068258:Bevacizumab