title: Bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Chinese patients in a clinical setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the outcome of non-investigational treatment with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of 81 eyes with neovascular AMD followed-up for at least 12mo and received 3-monthly loading IVB injections. Re-treat was based upon the individual clinician's judgment. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography measurements of central foveal thickness outcomes were evaluated at 12, 24mo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-one eyes (of 75 patients) completed 12mo of follow-up and 44 eyes (of 41 patients) completed 24mo of follow-up. The mean baseline logMAR BCVA significantly improved from 0.94±0.69 to 0.85±0.68 at 12mo (P<0.001) and from 0.91±0.65 to 0.85±0.60 (P=0.004) at 24mo. The proportion of eyes that lost <15 logMAR letters at 12mo was 90.1% and at 24mo was 81.8%. IVB was effective in improving visual acuity in both treatment naïve and previous photodynamic therapy (PDT)-treated subgroups. Treatment naive patients required significantly fewer injections than patients with prior PDT. Multiple regression analysis identified that poorer baseline visual acuity was associated with greater improvement in visual acuity (P=0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fewer injections in clinical practice may result in suboptimal visual outcomes compared with clinical trials of IVB in neovascular AMD patients. Poor baseline visual acuity and prior PDT treatment may also improve vision after IVB. The safety and durability of effect was maintained at 24mo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Danny Siu-Chun
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Alvin Kwan-Ho
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Justin Man-Kit
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Clement Wai-Nang
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Walton Wai-Tat
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Chinese; age-related macular degeneration; bevacizumab