title: Intravitreal bevacizumab as a treatment for choroidal neovascularisation secondary to myopia: 4-year study results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report long-term follow-up results from intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) treatment of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to pathologic myopia (PM).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients presenting with PM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one eyes were examined from 20 different patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a retrospective, consecutive, nonrandomised, interventional case series. Twenty-one eyes from 20 patients with CNV secondary to PM who were treated with bevacizumab were followed for a maximum of 52 months. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography were performed on each patient at baseline presentation and every 3 months thereafter for the entire follow-up period. The continuation therapy was based on dosing as needed regimen (PRN) for treatment assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 15 (71.4%) of the 21 eyes studied demonstrated an improvement of ≥ 1 line on the Snellen chart. A total of 3 (14.3%) eyes showed no change with this analysis, and 3 (14.3%) eyes lost 1 line of discrimination. After the 4-year study period, fluorescein angiography suggested absence of angiographic leakage or fibrotic lesions in 15 eyes, and 3 eyes showed partial regression of myopic CNV. The remaining 3 eyes demonstrated total regression of CNV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal bevacizumab appears to be an effective therapy for myopic CNV and its benefit may persist in a long-term follow-up, on the basis of PRN treatment compared to the natural history of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. enripei@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peiretti
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fossarello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab