title: Intravitreal combination of dexamethasone sodium phosphate and bevacizumab in the treatment of exudative AMD.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) combined with bevacizumab for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this non comparative case study, 30 eyes of 27 patients with CNV due to AMD received intravitreal DSP (0.2 mg) and bevacizumab (1.25 mg) during a 6-month PRN (pro re nata) dosing regimen. Visual acuity, macular thickness and intraocular pressure (IOP) were monitored and recorded. After 6 months, mean retinal thickness decreased from 423.5 ± 75.3 to 228.2 ± 34.5 and mean visual acuity improved from 0.9 ± 0.39 logMAR to 0.53 ± 0.34 (p = 0.001) logMAR. During the trial period, 81 intravitreal injections were performed in 30 eyes, thus the mean number of injections per eye was 2.7 ± 1.1. 86.7% of the eyes required 3 or less injections while only 13.3% needed 4 or more injections. None of the patients, phakic or pseudophakic, manifested an elevation of IOP during the treatment, ranging between 12 and 22 mmHg. Combined DSP and bevacizumab offers encouraging results in the challenge of AMD treatment, providing immediate response of macular edema, reduced number of intravitreal injections and stabilization or improvement of visual acuity.
authors.affiliation: Consultant in ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vakalis
authors.affiliation: Resident in ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Echiadis
authors.affiliation: Resident in ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pervena
authors.affiliation: Consultant in ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Deligiannis
authors.affiliation: Consultant in ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kavalarakis
authors.affiliation: Consultant in ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannikakis
authors.affiliation: Consultant in ophthalmology, Head of Department of Ophthalmology, Naval Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papaefthymiou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D004338:Drug Combinations; C004180:dexamethasone 21-phosphate; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D003907:Dexamethasone