Ranibizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration: 24-month outcomes from a single-centre institutional setting

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To analyse the 24-month outcomes of intravitreal ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: The authors reviewed the charts of all consecutive eyes with CNV secondary to AMD, who underwent one intravitreal ranibizumab injection (followed by a pro re nata (1+PRN) decision to retreat or to not retreat) at least 24 months before. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) changes and central macular thickness (CMT) were retrospectively assessed, from baseline (m0) to month 12 (m12), and 24 (m24). RESULTS: Ninety-six eyes of 79 patients (23 male, 56 female, aged 63-90 years) were included for analysis. The number of intravitreal injections administered ranged from 1 to 16. The mean BCVA significantly improved from m0 (0.78+/-0.33) to m12 (0.61+/-0.39, p<0.001), and m24 (0.65+/-0.38, p<0.001). The mean CMT significantly decreased from m0 (323.7+/-118.1) to m12 (254.6+/-92.3, p<0.001), and m24 (259.0+/-89.9, p<0.001). At m24, subretinal fluid, cystoid macular oedema and pigment epithelium detachment were present in fewer eyes (13, 31 and 31 eyes respectively), compared with m0 (33, 61 and 72 eyes, respectively). Overall, at m12 and m24, 91 eyes (94.8%) and 84 eyes (87.5%) lost fewer than 15 letters, and 25 (26%) eyes and 24 eyes (25%) improved by 15 letters or more, respectively; five eyes (5.2%) and 12 eyes (12.5%) lost more than 15 letters, at m12 and m24, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, similarly to other studies of variable dosing regimen over 24 months, intravitreal ranibizumab was effective in significantly increasing BCVA and reducing CMT.