title: Long-term follow-up of myopic choroidal neovascularization treated with ranibizumab.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-year retrospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series. Forty eyes of 39 patients with myopic CNV were included; 15 with previous photodynamic therapy, and 25 naïve eyes. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) changes, central foveal thickness (CFT), and number of treatments were assessed, from baseline to month 36.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean visual acuity improved from 55.4 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters at baseline to 59.7 letters at 12 months (p = 0.07), 61.8 letters at 24 months (p = 0.008) and 63.4 letters at 36 months (p = 0.039). Twenty-five percent of the patients gained ≥15 letters (3 lines) at 12 months, 30% at 24 months and 35% at 36 months. There was a mean reduction of 80 μm in CFT (p < 0.001). A mean of 4.1 injections were performed in the first year, 2.4 in the second year and 1.1 in the third year. Fifty-three percent of the eyes had no need for treatment during the third year of follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal ranibizumab seems to be an effective and safe therapeutic procedure to treat CNV in highly myopic eyes, with a high proportion of patients gaining or stabilizing BCVA at a 3-year follow-up.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. nuno_franqueira777@hotmail.com
authors: Nuno
authors: N
authors: Franqueira
authors: M Luz
authors: ML
authors: Cachulo
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Pires
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Fonseca
authors: Inês
authors: I
authors: Marques
authors: João
authors: J
authors: Figueira
authors: Rufino
authors: R
authors: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069579:Ranibizumab