Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness changes in patients with age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal ranibizumab.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of intravitreal ranibizumab therapy on intraocular pressure (IOP) and retinal nerve fiber (RNFL) thickness.


METHODS
Forty-nine eyes of 49 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal ranibizumab injections and 27 fellow eyes not requiring treatment were followed for 1 year. RNFL thickness, as measured by Fourier domain optical coherence tomography, and IOP were determined pre- and postinjection.


RESULTS
After 12 months, the mean number of injections received was 4.8 ± 1.6. The incidence of IOP elevations (>5 mm Hg over baseline) observed at the time of injection was 0.4%. Baseline RNFL thickness was 105.7 ± 12.2 μm in the treatment group compared with 101.8 ± 11.6 μm in the control group (P = 0.176). At the end of follow-up, significant RNFL thinning was noted in the treatment group (100.2 ± 11.0 μm, P < 0.001), whereas no differences were found in the control group (100.5 ± 10.8 μm, P = 0.477).


CONCLUSIONS
Intravitreal ranibizumab injections used to treat AMD caused a significant change in RNFL thickness after 12 months of follow-up.
Servicio de Oftalmologia, Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Departamento de Oftalmologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain. martinezcasa@ya.com
Jose M
JM
Martinez-de-la-Casa
Aurora
A
Ruiz-Calvo
Federico
F
Saenz-Frances
Juan
J
Reche-Frutos
Cristina
C
Calvo-Gonzalez
Juan
J
Donate-Lopez
Julián
J
Garcia-Feijoo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069579:Ranibizumab