title: Does ranibizumab (Lucentis®) change retrobulbar blood flow in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of intravitreal ranibizumab on retrobulbar blood flow in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one eyes of 30 patients with neovascular AMD were examined prospectively by both color Doppler imaging and fundus fluorescein angiography. Color Doppler imaging was used to measure the maximum and minimum velocities of the central retinal vein, peak systolic/end-diastolic velocities of blood flows, and pulsatility index and resistivity index values in the central retinal artery, nasal/temporal posterior ciliary arteries (NPCA/TPCA) and ophthalmic artery. The t test for paired samples was used for comparing retrobulbar blood flow values before and after intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis®) injection in the study and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) difference between the pre-injection and post-injection end-diastolic velocities of the NPCA and TPCA and resistivity index values of TPCA. The other parameters showed no statistically significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that intravitreal ranibizumab injection increases retrobulbar blood flow.
authors: Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey. dr.meteahmet@gmail.com
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Mete
authors: Oguzhan
authors: O
authors: Saygili
authors: Alper
authors: A
authors: Mete
authors: Kivanc
authors: K
authors: Gungor
authors: Metin
authors: M
authors: Bayram
authors: Necdet
authors: N
authors: Bekir
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D019842:Ciliary Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects*; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012169:Retinal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D000069579:Ranibizumab