title: ANTERIOR CHAMBER FLARE DURING BEVACIZUMAB TREATMENT IN EYES WITH EXUDATIVE AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the anterior chamber flare during bevacizumab treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 2-year prospective follow-up, 50 patients recently diagnosed with exudative age-related macular degeneration were treated at once-a-month visits if subretinal or intraretinal fluid or a new hemorrhage was present in the lesion area. Flare was measured weekly during the first month and then monthly in both eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher flare was associated with older age (P = 0.007, Linear Mixed Model), higher number of smoking pack-years (P = 0.019), macular cysts (P = 0.041), and pseudophakia (P = 0.003). The levels gradually increased during the follow-up (P < 0.0001) but less in the eyes with classic CNV (P = 0.011). Flare decreased during treatment-free periods lasting for at least two consecutive visits (P = 0.005). A peak in flare was observed 1 week after the first injection (P = 0.034, Wilcoxon signed rank test). In the fellow eyes, higher flare values in the beginning of the follow-up were associated with later conversion into exudative age-related macular degeneration (P = 0.015, Mann-Whitney U test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior chamber flare correlated poorly with the CNV activity. Higher levels may, however, precede or exist early in the process that leads to the development of exudative age-related macular degeneration.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; and †School of Management, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Asta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hautamäki
authors.forename: Arto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luoma
authors.forename: Ilkka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Immonen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D010783:Photometry; D011446:Prospective Studies; D058471:Subretinal Fluid; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014606:Uveitis, Anterior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab