Intravitreal bevacizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a one-year prospective study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

DESIGN: Prospective, open-label, nonrandomized clinical study.

METHODS: Sixty patients (60 eyes) with subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV) attributable to AMD participated in this study at the American University of Beirut and Hotel Dieu de France Retina Clinics. All lesion types were included except for retinal angiomatous proliferation. In the initial treatment phase, intravitreal bevacizumab (2.5 mg/0.1 ml) was given at baseline, and then two additional monthly injections were given if the macula was not dry on optical coherence tomography. The criteria for re-injection after the induction phase were presence of new fluid in the macula, increased central retinal thickness (CRT) at least 100 microm, loss of at least five letters of vision with increased fluid in the macula, new classic CNV or new macular hemorrhages. Main outcome measure was the proportion of eyes losing <15 letters of vision after 12 months.

RESULTS: Fifty-one patients (51 eyes) completed the 12 months. Mean visual acuity improved from 45.7 letters at baseline to 53.1 letters at 12 months (P = .004), and 47 eyes (92.2%) lost <15 letters. Mean CRT decreased from 327.4 microm at baseline to 227.8 microm at 12 months (P < .001). A mean of 3.4 injections were given over the course of the study, and no ocular or systemic side-effects were noted.

CONCLUSION: Eyes with neovascular AMD treated with intravitreal bevacizumab over 12 months had significant anatomical and functional improvement. Further studies need to confirm the long-term efficacy of this treatment.