title: [Intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of retinal angiomatous proliferation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Retinal angiomatous proliferations (RAP) are a subgroup of exsudative or "wet" age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) with devastating reduction of visual acuity in later stages. Intravitreal ranibizumab provides good therapy, but is considered to be less effective than in other choroidal neovascularizations (CNV).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the efficacy of ranibizumab in late-stage III RAP with retinochoroidal anastomosis compared to the outcome of other CNV lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of all patients with wAMD treated with ranibizumab were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into groups depending on the lesion type into RAP (identified and selected clinically, proven by fluorescein angiography) and CNV lesions (identified by fluorescein angiography only) named occult, minimally and predominantly classic groups. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was obtained before (at the timepoint "diagnosis"), during (1st, 2nd, and 3rd injection), and after upload ("1st control").
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before first injection, visual acuity decreased in all groups (0.73 to 0.78 logMAR for all CNV, 0.95 to 1.02 logMAR for RAP). During upload there was no further decline in visual acuity but no improvement as well up to the 1st control visit in the RAP group (1.02 to 1.03 logMAR), but a statistically significant increase in all other groups (0.78 to 0.67 logMAR).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of late-stage III RAP with ranibizumab is effective. Stabiliziation of visual acuity can be achieved, but-in contrast to other forms of CNV lesions-no further improvement. Therefore, patients with this special form need to be identified and treated as early as possible.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde, Medizinische Fakultät "Carl Gustav Carus", Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Deutschland. johanna.maass@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maaß
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde, Medizinische Fakultät "Carl Gustav Carus", Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Deutschland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sandner
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde, Medizinische Fakultät "Carl Gustav Carus", Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Deutschland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matthé
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000069579:Ranibizumab
keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; Choroidal neovascularization; Ranibizumab; Retinal angiomatous proliferation; Vision loss