title: Comparison of intravitreal ranibizumab in phakic and pseudophakic neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients with good baseline visual acuity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration between phakic and pseudophakic eyes with visual acuity ≥0.5 Snellen equivalent.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective, interventional, comparative study. The newly diagnosed neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients with visual acuity of ≥0.5 Snellen equivalent were included in the study. The patients were divided into two subgroups: phakic group and pseudophakic. All patients received three consecutive monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections, and then, reinjection was performed as needed. Patients were examined monthly, and the data at the baseline, at Months 3, 6, 9, and 12 were evaluated. The changes in visual acuity, central retinal thickness, and the number of injections were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 96 eyes of 96 patients (56 phakic and 40 pseudophakic). Mean Snellen visual acuity at the baseline, at Months 3, 6, 9, and 12 was 0.56 ± 0.09, 0.64 ± 0.15, 0.62 ± 0.21, 0.60 ± 0.22, and 0.61 ± 0.20 for the phakic group; and 0.55 ± 0.08, 0.63 ± 0.14, 0.60 ± 0.13, 0.58 ± 0.14, and 0.59 ± 0.13 for the pseudophakic group, respectively. The change in mean visual acuity and central retinal thickness at the study visits was not statistically significant between the 2 groups (P > 0.05 for all). Mean injection number at Month 12 was 4.5 and 4.3 in the phakic and pseudophakic group, respectively (P = 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal ranibizumab treatment on an as-needed treatment regimen is effective in preserving vision and improving central retinal thickness in both the phakic and pseudophakic group of neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients with good baseline visual acuity.
authors.affiliation: *Beyoglu Eye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; and †Department of Ophthalmology, Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkaya
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Alkin
authors.forename: Ahmet T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirok
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab