INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION: 5-Year Results of The Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term anatomical and functional outcomes of patients with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB). METHODS: Retrospective case series. Patients diagnosed with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration that were treated with at least 1 intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg of IVB and had a minimum follow-up of 60 months. Patients underwent best-corrected Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography, and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow-up visits. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-seven consecutive patients (292 eyes) were included. The mean number of IVB injections per eye was 10.9 ± 6.4. At 5 years, the BCVA decreased from 20/150 (logMAR 0.9 ± 0.6) at baseline to 20/250 (logMAR 1.1 ± 0.7) (P = <0.0001). The mean CMT decreased from 343.1+ 122.3 µm at baseline to 314.7 ± 128.8 µm at 60 months of follow-up (P = 0.009). Geographic atrophy (GA) was observed at baseline in 47 (16%) of 292 eyes. By 5 years, GA developed or progressed in 124 (42.5%) of 292 eyes (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The early visual gains obtained from IVB were not maintained at 5 years of follow-up. In addition, IVB may play a role in the development or progression of GA.

Primary intravitreal bevacizumab for diffuse diabetic macular edema: the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group at 24 months.

PURPOSE: To report the 24-month anatomic and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) response after primary intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, CA; 1.25 or 2.5 mg) in patients with diffuse diabetic macular edema (DDME). In addition, a comparison of the 2 different doses of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) used is presented. DESIGN: Retrospective, multicenter, interventional, comparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: The clinical records of 115 consecutive patients (139 eyes) with DDME at 11 centers from 8 countries were reviewed. METHODS: Patients were treated with at least 1 intravitreal injection of 1.25 or 2.5 mg of bevacizumab. All patients were followed up for 24 months. Patients underwent ETDRS BCVA testing, ophthalmoscopic examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescein angiography (FA) at the baseline, 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month visits. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in BCVA and OCT results. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 59.4+/-11.1 years. The mean number of IVB injections per eye was 5.8 (range, 1-15 injections). In the 1.25-mg group at 1 month, BCVA improved from 20/150 (0.88 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] units) to 20/107, 0.76 logMAR units (P<0.0001). The mean BCVA at 24 months was 20/75 (0.57 logMAR units; P<0.0001). Similar BCVA changes were observed in the 2.5-mg group: at 1 month, BCVA improved from 20/168 (0.92 logMAR units) to 20/118 (0.78 logMAR units; P = 0.02). The mean BCVA at 24 months was 20/114 (0.76 logMAR units; P<0.0001). In the 1.25-mg group, the mean central macular thickness (CMT) decreased from 466.5+/-145.2 microm at baseline to 332.2+/-129.6 microm at 1 month and 286.6+/-81.5 microm at 24 months (P<0.0001). Similar results were obtained in the 2.5-mg group. CONCLUSIONS: Primary IVB at doses of 1.25 to 2.5 mg seem to provide stability or improvement in BCVA, OCT, and FA in DDME at 24 months. The results show no evident difference between IVB at doses of 1.25 or 2.5 mg.

Recurrent vitreous hemorrhage secondary to retinal vessel avulsion.

Spontaneous vitreous hemorrhage is a rare entity, present in 7 out of 100,000 inhabitants. It is associated with different pathologies; however, it is rarely reported to be caused by retinal vessel avulsion syndrome. In the present manuscript, we report a case of avulsion of retinal vessels associated with recurrent vitreous hemorrhage managed, at first, by photocoagulation, but due to the several recurrence of bleeding, the patient went into surgical management.

Intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy in myopic choroidal neovascularisation: 5-year outcomes for the PAN-American Collaborative Retina Study Group.

PURPOSE: To report the long-term anatomical and visual outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) monotherapy in naive choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) caused by myopia. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of naive CNV secondary to myopia that underwent antivascular endothelial growth factor monotherapy was performed. Collected data included demographic details, clinical examination details including visual acuity at presentation and follow-up with imaging and treatment details. Main outcome measures were resolution of CNV activity at the last visit. Secondary outcomes included change in visual acuity, number of injections and adverse events. RESULTS: Thirty-three eyes of 31 subjects with a mean age of 51.48±16.4 years were included. The mean follow-up was 66.47 months. 27 eyes had type 2 CNV and the rest seven eyes had type 1 CNV. The mean number of IVB injections per eye was 4.9. Mean visual acuity at baseline reduced from 0.65±0.33 logMAR units (Snellen equivalent=20/89) to 0.73±0.50 logMAR units (20/107) at final follow-up (p=0.003). The mean central macular thickness decreased from 309.31±86 µm at baseline to 267.5±70.89 µm at the last visit (p=0.03). However, visual acuity was maintained (±1 line of baseline) in 13 eyes (39.4%), ≥2 line improvement in nine (27.3%) eyes and more than two lines worsening in 11 eyes (33.3%). Foveal atrophy was observed at baseline and last visit in 6 (12.5%) and 14 (29.1%), respectively (p=0.007). No systemic adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: IVB monotherapy is safe and effective for long-term treatment of CNV secondary to myopia in real life.

[Neuroretinitis caused by Bartonella henselae: a case with follow up through optical coherence tomography]. / Neuroretinitis por Bartonella henselae: a propósito de un caso con seguimiento por tomografía de coherencia óptica.

The case of a 36 year-old male with neuroretinitis caused by Bartonella henselae is reported, whose periodic follow-up was done through optical coherence tomography (OCT). The onset of this disease was characterized by unilateral low visual acuity (VA), painless, of sudden onset, in the right eye (RE), associated to l febrile symptom. The funduscopic examination showed edema in the posterior pole which extended from the optical disc to the macular region in the RE. The OCT confirmed macular and optical disc thickening, as well as the presence of subretinal macular fluid. Systemic studies were normal except for a blood count due to the presence of leukocytosis and positive for Bartonella henselae. The follow up with CT Scan helped to evaluate the decrease in macular edema, with the subsequent improvement of visual acuity and absence of related complications. This report describes the utility of the follow up with OCT in a patient with neuroretinitis caused by Bartonella henselae.

Neuroretinitis por Bartonella henselae: a propósito de un caso con seguimiento por tomografía de coherencia óptica / Neuroretinitis caused by Bartonella henselae: a case with follow up through optical coherence tomography

Se reporta el caso de un varón de 36 años con neurorretinitis por Bartonella henselae, cuyo seguimiento periódico fue realizado con tomografía de coherencia óptica (TCO). El inicio de la enfermedad se caracterizó por disminución de agudeza visual (AV) unilateral, indolora, de inicio brusco en ojo derecho (OD), asociado a cuadro febril. El examen fundoscópico mostró edema en polo posterior, extendiéndose desde el disco óptico hasta la región macular en OD. La TCO confirmó el engrosamiento macular y del disco óptico así como la presencia de fluido macular subretinal. Los estudios sistémicos fueron normales con excepción del hemograma por presencia de leucocitosis y serología positiva a Bartonella henselae. El seguimiento tomográfico permitió valorar la disminución del edema macular, con la correspondiente mejora de la agudeza visual y ausencia de complicaciones asociadas. Este reporte describe la utilidad del seguimiento con TCO en un paciente con neurorretinitis por Bartonella henselae.

The case of a 36 year-old male with neuroretinitis caused by Bartonella henselae is reported, whose periodic follow-up was done through optical coherence tomography (OCT). The onset of this disease was characterized by unilateral low visual acuity (VA), painless, of sudden onset, in the right eye (RE), associated to l febrile symptom. The funduscopic examination showed edema in the posterior pole which extended from the optical disc to the macular region in the RE. The OCT confirmed macular and optical disc thickening, as well as the presence of subretinal macular fluid. Systemic studies were normal except for a blood count due to the presence of leukocytosis and positive for Bartonella henselae. The follow up with CT Scan helped to evaluate the decrease in macular edema, with the subsequent improvement of visual acuity and absence of related complications. This report describes the utility of the follow up with OCT in a patient with neuroretinitis caused by Bartonella henselae.