title: One year results of intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy for retinal angiomatous proliferation: a comparative analysis based on disease stages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) has been known as a variant of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with a unfavorable prognosis. To evaluate the effect of ranibizumab administered initially as three loading doses for patients with various stages of RAP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review of 40 patients (41 eyes) with RAP was conducted. The study divided patients into three groups of Group I (8 eyes in stage I), Group II (17eyes in stage II), and Group III (16 eyes in stage III). All patients received three initial monthly intravitreal injections (0.5 mg) of ranibizumab and were monitored monthly for 12 months. Reinjection of ranibizumab after three initial monthly doses was administered on as-needed basis. The main outcome measures were the change in the mean of best-corrected Snellen visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT), and the total number of injections received during the 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean change in BCVA at 12 months was-0.286,-0.165, and-0.151 (logMAR) in Group I, II, and III, respectively. CMT was also reduced by a mean of 32.72 ± 56.75, 57.45 ± 56.48 and 148.37 ± 98.59 μm. The mean number of injections in Group I was significant lower than those in Group II and III (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.15 for Group I versus Group II, Group I versus Group III, and Group II versus Group III, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 12-month follow-up outcomes suggest that three consecutive loading doses of intravitreal ranibizumab is an effective treatment on early stage (stage I) of RAP. Patients in stage I showed a significantly lower recurrence rate than patients in later stages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, #62 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-713, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Gun
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, #62 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-713, Korea. cuteyg2000@catholic.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Young-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Roh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab