title: Long-term follow-up of spontaneous retinal pigment epithelium tears in age-related macular degeneration treated with anti-VEGF therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical response following anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in patients with spontaneous retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of patients with AMD who developed a spontaneous RPE tear and were subsequently treated with anti-VEGF therapy at a single institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 5 patients included in the study, the median number (range) of injections received was 14.2 (5-18). The median baseline acuity was 20/200, which remained stable at 12 months and improved to 20/60 at 24 months. These changes were not statistically different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-VEGF therapy appears safe in eyes with spontaneous RPE tear secondary to AMD and may help to stabilize or even improve acuity in some cases.
authors.affiliation: University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. lesniasp@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Sebastian P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lesniak
authors.forename: Howard F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Prenner
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C495058:pegaptanib; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab