Retinal pigment epithelial tears following ranibizumab therapy for fibrovascular retinal pigment epithelial detachment due to occult age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to report the incidence of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tears in patients treated with ranibizumab for subfoveal fibrovascular retinal pigment epithelial detachment (FVPED) due to occult age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

MATERIAL/METHODS: Thirty patients were treated according to the following schedule: saturation phase, further treatment was based on activity of the degeneration process. Visual acuity (VA), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography (FA) parameters were evaluated and compared.

RESULTS: Patients had a mean improvement of +4.7 ± 8.1 letters at month 12. The mean number of needed injections was 6.8 ± 1.8 (range, 3 to 9). RPE tears in fovea occurred in 8 cases (27% of all patients). Analysis of variance revealed significant upper mean values of ETDRS letters for the subgroup without RPE tears. Mean values of PED height were significant upper for RPE tears without baseline. Statistical analysis revealed that in the subgroup without RPE tears mean values of VA significantly differed in succeeding periods compare to baseline (P<0.001). Visual improvement or stabilization was observed in 90.9% of patients without RPE tears (significant improvement of 15 or more letters in 22.7% - 5/22) and in 87.5% of patients with RPE tears (significant improvement was not observed). Baseline leakage parameters, lesion and leakage parameters at month 12 were significantly higher in patients with RPE tears. The chi-square test revealed statistically significant associations between RPE tears and subretinal fluid in OCT (P<0.05) at month 12.

CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with FVPED and RPE tears treated with ranibizumab, stabilization of visual acuity without significant improvement is predictable. One of the risk factors common to RPE tears may be baseline leakage parameters and pretreatment distorted RPE contour in OCT. During ranibizumab therapy in eyes with RPE tears, upper parameters of FVPED height may occur without significant differences in fovea and macula volume compare to eyes without RPE tears.