title: Retinal venular calibre dilatation after intravitreal ranibizumab treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To describe the changes in retinal vascular calibre in response to intravitreal ranibizumab injections in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration were recruited over a 1-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each patient received three monthly intravitreal injections according to a 'loading dose'. Retinal arteriolar and venular calibre was measured from digital fundus photographs and summarized as central retinal artery equivalent and central retinal vein equivalent at baseline and 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Central retinal artery equivalent and central retinal vein equivalent changes from baseline to 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-four eyes of 71 patients had good quality images for grading vessel calibre at baseline and at 3 months in treated (study) eyes and 51 eyes of 51 patients had good quality images in fellow (control) eyes. Over 3 months, in study eyes treated with ranibizumab, there was a significant increase in central retinal vein equivalent over baseline (+6.20 µm, P = 0.005), but no significant change in central retinal artery equivalent (+0.86 µm, P = 0.55). In control eyes, there was no change in central retinal vein equivalent (-0.82 µm, P = 0.70) or central retinal artery equivalent (0.34 µm, P = 0.75).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal ranibizumab has a significant vasodilational effect on retinal venular calibre in eyes treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The reason for this change is unclear, but may relate to changes in blood flow or inflammatory changes within the retina.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sanjeewa S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wickremasinghe
authors.forename: Robyn H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Guymer
authors.forename: Tien Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Wanling
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Salmaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qureshi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab