title: Changes in Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness after Two Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injections for Wet Type Age-related Macular Degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of two intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections on peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in patients with wet type age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective interventional case series included 18 eyes of 18 patients receiving two IVB injections within a 6 weeks interval for treatment of wet type ARMD. Peripapillary RNFL thickness was measured prior to the first injection, and 12 and 24 weeks afterwards by optical coherence tomography (3D OCT-1000, Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Mean RNFL thickness and values in the four peripapillary quadrants were compared at baseline, and 12 and 24 weeks after initial injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean RNFL thickness was 89 ± 21 μm at baseline which was significantly reduced to 82 ± 15 μm at 12 weeks (P = 0.021). At final follow-up (week 24), mean RNFL thickness reached 87 ± 23 μm and was comparable to baseline values (P = 0.356). Only the temporal quadrant showed a significant reduction in RNFL thickness at 12 weeks (P = 0.033); this quadrant followed the same pattern of change as the mean RNFL thickness, becoming comparable to pre-injection values at 24 weeks (P = 0. 298).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RNFL thickness may decrease temporarily following two IVB injections in patients with wet type ARMD; however, in the long-term no significant change was detectable from baseline values.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sceinces, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Ophthalmology, Imam Hossein Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Entezari
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sceinces, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Ophthalmology, Imam Hossein Medical Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramezani
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sceinces, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaseri
keywords: Age-related Macular Degeneration; Bevacizumab; Optical Coherence Tomography; Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer