Evaluation of treatment efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab injections in patients with wet type of AMD.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate foveal function, retinal circulation and foveal thickness before and after intravitreal ranibizumab injections in eyes with wet type of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).


METHODS
The study group consisted of 21 eyes (20 patients) with choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) due to AMD. Inclusion criteria were based on fluorescein angiography (FA) and distance best corrected visual acuity (DBCVA)--log MAR scale. In each eye, 3 consecutive injections of ranibizumab every 4 weeks were administered and then individual course for re-injections according to DBCVA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) up to 12 months was applied. At baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up, the following tests were performed: DBCVA, multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) and OCT. Additionally, FA was carried out before the treatment, 3 and 12 months from the baseline.


RESULTS
At baseline, FA revealed mainly minimally occult choroidal neovascularisation--57% (12/21) of eyes. At 3 months choroidal neovascularisation diameter was stable; no leakage from active choroidal neovascularisation was seen in 76% (16/21) of eyes. After 12 months follow-up, increase in choroidal neovascularisation diameter was seen in 43% (9/21) of eyes and no leakage in 57% (12/21) of cases. The mean DBCVA significantly improved only after 3 months (p < 0.02). Significant decrease of mean foveal thickness was observed in each follow-ups (p < 0.01). The mfERG data from the macular region remained stable or improved slightly in some cases.


CONCLUSIONS
In our series of patients with the wet type of AMD after intravitreal injections of ranibizumab in 12 months follow-up, the reduction of foveal thickness was noted while DBCVA and the bioelectrical function from the macular region measured by the mfERG remained stable.
Department of Ophthalmology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
Wojciech
W
Lubiński
Katarzyna
K
Mozolewska-Piotrowska
Kamila
K
Krasodomska
Krzysztof
K
Penkala
Beata
B
Kaźmierczak
Danuta
D
Karczewicz
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000187:drug effects; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000069579:Ranibizumab