Factors affecting the efficacy of treatment and recurrence in intravitreal ranibizumab applications in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

• Main Authors: Özlem Kuru, Burak Erden, Mustafa Nuri Elçioğlu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2015-06-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Age-related macular degeneration; ranibizumab
• Online Access: http://www.diclemedj.org/upload/sayi/36/Dicle%20Med%20J-02432.pdf

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab treatment and factors affecting the treatment in neovascular type age-related macular degeneration Methods: Ranibizumab injected 60 eyes of 60 patients with the diagnosis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in our clinic were analyzed retrospectively. After three consecutive 3-month follow-up dose injection, decision to perform re-injections was according to best corrected visual acuity, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography findings in consecutive month follow-up. Patients were evaluated in terms of number of ranibizumab injections, pre-treatment and follow-up best-corrected visual acuity, central macular thickness, factors affecting the treatment and recurrence. Results: 30 (50%) of patients were male and 30 (50%) were women with a mean age of 67 ± 9.14 (50-84). While pre-treatment visual acuity average of the cases was 1.12 ± 0.69 logMAR, at the end of 12th month was 0.92 ± 0.63 logMAR. While pre-treatment mean central macular thickness was 343.1 ± 97 µm, in the 12th month was 286 ± 75.5 µm. While the first 3 injections were enough in 20 (33.3%) eyes, but 40 (66.7%) eyes had to be re-injected. Average number of injections was 4.23 ± 1.21. While there was no significant correlation between recent functional and anatomical success with age, gender, type of lens and membrane type, more vision gain was obtained in patients with initial lower visual acuity. The age of patients, pre-treatment visual acuity, membrane type were found to have no significant effect on recurrence rate. Membranes with classic component required more injection than occult type. Conclusion: After intravitreal injection of ranibizumab which is safe and effective in neovascular type of age-related macular degeneration more vision gain was obtained in patients with initial lower visual acuity and presence of classic component initial higher visual acuity, lower age required more injection.