title: Incidence and Timing of the First Recurrence in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Comparison Between Ranibizumab and Aflibercept.
abstract: To compare the incidence and timing of first recurrence between patients who were treated with ranibizumab and aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  
  This retrospective study included 120 patients who received the diagnosis of treatment-naive typical neovascular AMD or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and were treated using either ranibizumab (n = 73) or aflibercept (n = 47). Recurrence within 10 months of the third injection was compared between the 2 treatment groups.
  
  
  
  In all 120 patients, there was no difference in recurrence between the ranibizumab and the aflibecept groups (P = 0.846). One hundred five patients completed 12 months follow-up. In typical neovascular AMD, disease recurred in 69.6% (16/23) of patients in the ranibizumab group, with a mean period of 4.4 ± 1.8 months after the third injection. In the aflibercept group, the equivalent values were 68.8% (11/16) and 4.5 ± 1.4 months. In PCV, disease recurred in 72.5% (29/40) of patients in the ranibizumab group, with a mean period of 3.8 ± 1.7 months after the third injection. In the aflibercept group, the equivalent values were 69.2% (18/26) and 4.3 ± 2.0 months.
  
  
  
  Although the incidence of recurrence was slightly higher and the duration between the third injection and the first recurrence was slightly shorter in patients treated using ranibizumab, the differences were not significant. Our results require confirmation in further studies.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Jae Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Ophthalmology, Konyang University College of Medicine , Daejeon, South Korea .
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Dong Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Chul Gu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Jong Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000069579:Ranibizumab
keywords: aflibercept; age-related macular degeneration; antivascular endothelial growth factor; choroidal neovascularization; polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy; ranibizumab; recurrence