Retinal pigment epithelium tears in age-related macular degeneration treated with antiangiogenic drugs: a controlled study with long follow-up.

PURPOSE: To study whether anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy improves visual acuity (VA) in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) complicated with retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears.

METHODS: Retrospective case-control series. Group I (control group) included 9 patients with RPE tears that received no treatment, and group II (intervention group) incorporated 12 patients treated with anti-VEGF.

RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found in VA between the groups from the 3rd month to the final follow-up (p = 0.034). Final VA improved in the treatment group (p = 0.015). No differences were found in central macular thickness between the groups either before or after treatment. Mean number of injections in group II was 5.75 (SD = 1.19). Most patients presented a grade 3 rip. All lesions were inactive at the end of follow-up in group II and 1 remained active in group I. The number of final atrophic/disciform scars was 6/8 in group I and 7/5 in group II.

CONCLUSIONS: RPE tears treated with antiangiogenic drugs experienced functional benefit. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first controlled series reporting effectiveness of suppression of neovascular activity with antiangiogenic treatment after RPE rip in AMD.