title: Ranibizumab for the treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration associated with retinal pigment epithelial tear.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration associated with retinal pigment epithelial tear.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective case series, patients with active exudative age-related macular degeneration associated with retinal pigment epithelial tear were treated by repeated injections of intravitreal ranibizumab. The outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity and the signs of lesion activity, as evaluated by optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one eyes of 20 patients were followed-up for a median of 12 months (range, 6-28 months). The median number of injections was 7 (range, 3-15). The best-corrected visual acuity improved in 6 eyes (28.57%), remained stable in 12 (57.14%), and decreased in 3 (14.28%). At the end of the follow-up time, 19 eyes (90.47%) had an inactive neovascular lesion in angiography, while 18 eyes (85.71%) had no signs of intraretinal or subretinal fluid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal ranibizumab was effective in improving or stabilizing vision and resulting in a quiescent lesion in the majority of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration associated with retinal pigment epithelial tear. The functional results were apparently better in eyes without foveal involvement by the retinal pigment epithelial tear.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School of Athens University, Athens, Greece. rallex@hol.gr
authors.forename: Alexandros A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rouvas
authors.forename: Ioannis D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Ladas
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Georgalas
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vergados
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papakonstantinou
authors.forename: Athanasios I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Kotsolis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000293:injuries*; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D000069579:Ranibizumab