INTRAVITREAL ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION SECONDARY TO PATHOLOGIC MYOPIA

Abstract

PURPOSE: To report the visual outcome after 6-year follow-up in highly myopic eyes with choroidal neovascularization treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs. METHODS: Retrospective, nonrandomized, multicenter, consecutive, and interventional case series. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab and 19 with ranibizumab. Mean age of the patients was 56.5 years (SD, 13.3). The average number of letters read was 56.7 (SD, 19.0) at baseline; 65.7 (SD, 18.4) at 12 months; 63.6 (SD, 20.6) at 24 months; 62.4 (SD, 21.4) at 36 months; 60.6 (SD, 22.0) at 48 months; 58.9 (SD, 22.9) at 60 months, and 58.4 (SD, 22.7) at 72 months (P < 0.01, between initial vs. 12, 24, and 36 months; P = 0.07, 0.3, and 0.5 between initial vs. 48, 60, and 72 months, respectively; Student's t-test paired data). The mean total number of intravitreal injections was 3.3 (SD, 2.3; range, 1-9). CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab and ranibizumab are effective therapies and show similar clinical effects in myopic eyes with choroidal neovascularization. Visual acuity gain is maintained at a 3-year follow-up. The improvement is no longer statistically significant at Years 4, 5, and 6.