INSIGHTS INTO PERIFOVEAL EXUDATIVE VASCULAR ANOMALOUS COMPLEX.

PURPOSE: To report a series of eight patients with perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography and the results of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy or laser photocoagulation. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of demographic data, imaging including color pictures, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and optical coherence tomography angiography, and fluorescein angiography, course, and outcome. RESULTS: Age at onset ranged from 45 to 84 years (mean ± SD: 68.6 ± 13.7). Five cases were initially misdiagnosed. The perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex lesion was unique in seven eyes and located predominantly in the superficial capillary plexus in two eyes, strictly in the deep capillary plexus in two eyes, but observed at the level of both plexi (3 eyes). One patient presented two lesions, one in the superficial capillary plexus and one in the deep capillary plexus. Capillary rarefaction was observed around the lesion in six eyes. Sustainable resolution of exudation could be achieved in 2 patients, one after 2 sessions of focal thermal laser photocoagulation and one after 13 intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor. CONCLUSION: The present series confirms that perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex corresponds to a new entity that differs from other conditions associated with capillary aneurysmal lesions. Visual improvement could be obtained after treatment with focal laser or intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents.

Diagnosis and treatment of peripheral exudative haemorrhagic chorioretinopathy.

PURPOSE: Peripheral exudative haemorrhagic chorioretinopathy (PEHCR) is a rare disorder that is often misdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to better characterise PEHCR and to assess treatment options. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective multicentric chart review. RESULTS: Of 84 eyes (69 patients) with PEHCR referred between 2005 and 2017, the most common referral diagnosis was choroidal melanoma (41.3%). Bilateral involvement was found in 21.7% of cases. Haemorrhagic retinal pigment epithelium detachment was the most common peripheral lesion (53.6%). Maculopathy was associated with peripheral lesions in 65.8% of cases. PEHCR lesions were mostly heterogeneous (58.8%) on B-scan ultrasonography. Choroidal neovascularisation was found in 10 eyes (26.3%) out of 38 eyes that underwent fluorescein angiography. Polyps were observed in 14 eyes (58.3%) out of 24 eyes that underwent indocyanine green angiography. Fifty-one eyes were treated (62.2%). Intravitreal injections (IVTI) of antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were the most used treatment (36.6%) before laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, vitrectomy and cryotherapy. Only vitrectomy improved visual acuity. Most lesions (65.6%) regressed at the last follow-up visit. CONCLUSION: In case of PEHCR, multimodal imaging is useful to avoid misdiagnosis, to characterise PEHCR lesions and to guide treatment strategies. Regression of PEHCR lesions was observed in two-thirds of the patients. Vitrectomy improved visual acuity. More than a third of patients underwent anti-VEGF IVTI. Further studies are needed to assess IVTI's efficacy.

Impact of ranibizumab on visual impairment in patients with bilateral diabetic macular edema.

AIMS: Diabetic macular edema (DME) frequently presents bilaterally. In case of bilateral retinal disease, the visual impairment (VI) and the visual acuity (VA) are strongly correlated to the better eye. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of ranibizumab intravitreal injections (IVR) on VI in patients with simultaneous VA loss due to DME. METHODS: This was a retrospective two-center study including consecutive DME patients with visual loss treated with ranibizumab since November 2011 and with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Patients with bilateral visual decrease from DME undergoing IVR within 6 months of each other were included. RESULTS: Twenty-nine DME patients who received bilateral IVR within a 6-month interval in the second eye were included. At baseline, 82.8% (n = 24) of patients had a VA < 20/40 in their better eye versus 44.8% (n = 13) of patients at the end of follow-up, i.e. a reduction by 45.9% of VI. In the better eye, the mean VA was 57.3, 65.0 and 65.5 ETDRS letters, respectively, at baseline, month 3 and month 6 (mean VA gain +8.2 letters). In the worse eye, the mean VA was 44.2, 53.5 and 53.8 ETDRS letters, respectively, at baseline, M3 and M6 (mean VA gain +9.6 letters). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with bilateral DME, subsequent ranibizumab IVR reduced VI frequency.

OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY, FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY, AND DIAGNOSIS OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of different retinal imaging combinations for the diagnosis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: Patients aged 50 years or older referred for suspicious recent-onset CNV related to age-related macular degeneration were prospectively included for 6 months. Data recorded included color fundus photographs (CFPs), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and fluorescein angiography (FA) images. Five retina specialists randomly interpreted SD-OCT combined with CFP, and then FA combined with CFP. The reference diagnosis of CNV was based on the agreement of two readers in the interpretation of the SD-OCT + FA + CFP combination. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight patients (148 eyes) were included. For the diagnosis of CNV, the sensitivity of both SD-OCT + CFP and FA + CFP was of 90.9%. Type 2 CNV was diagnosed in 98% to 100% of cases with SD-OCT + CFP or FA + CFP, whereas Type 1 CNV was diagnosed in 82.9% of cases with SD-OCT + CFP and 81.6% with FA + CFP. CONCLUSION: When used as a first diagnostic test, SD-OCT combined with CFP had sensitivity and specificity similar to those of FA combined with CFP, for the diagnosis of CNV in age-related macular degeneration. This shows the increasingly important role of SD-OCT as a first-line test in the diagnosis of CNV.

Vascular remodeling of choroidal neovascularization in older myopic patients treated with ranibizumab.

PURPOSE: To investigate morphological changes in myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) using optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A) after treatment with ranibizumab. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients over a 24-month period. All treatment-naïve mCNV were imaged at baseline with color pictures, spectral-domain OCT and OCT-A, and fluorescein angiography in selected cases. CNV morphology was classified at baseline and at 6 months. The CNV lesion surface was also compared. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with a mean age of 70.3 ± 10.1 years were included. They received a mean number of 2.65 injections over 6 months. Best-corrected visual acuity improved from 62.2 to 68.5 letters (p = 0.004), with regression of exudation in 24 eyes (82.7%). Baseline CNV was classified into tree-in-bud (16 eyes), medusa (9 eyes), or sea-fan (4 eyes) pattern. At 6 months, no abnormal blood flow was observed in CNV in 13 eyes. Eyes with complete regression or evolution towards an indistinct pattern showed more often a complete regression of exudation than eyes with unchanged pattern (p = 0.007). The mean CNV surface significantly decreased from 0.19 to 0.08 mm2 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: An unchanged pattern was more often associated with exudation persistence, while a complete regression or evolution towards indistinct pattern was always associated with vascular inactivity. However, variable changes in mCNV were observed after anti-VEGF. Thus, OCT-A could be more useful in the diagnosis than in the follow-up of mCNV.

Treatment Efficacy and Compliance in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Ranibizumab in a Real-Life Setting.

PURPOSE: To assess real-life efficacy of ranibizumab and treatment compliance of patients with vision loss secondary to diabetic macular edema (DME). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in DME patients treated with ranibizumab. Patients were monitored every 4 weeks for visual acuity (VA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) by SD-OCT. All patients received a loading dose of 3 monthly injections followed by retreatments on an as-needed basis. The primary endpoint was the change in VA at M12. Patient compliance to the follow-up and the correlation between the injection number and VA were also investigated. Compliance was compared to that of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients. RESULTS: Seventy-two eyes of 55 consecutive DME patients were included. At baseline, the mean VA was 56.5 letters and CRT was 470 µm. At M12, the mean VA was 63.4 letters (p < 0.0001), 31.1% of patients had a VA > 70 letters, the mean VA change was +6.9 letters, and the mean CRT was 361.9 µm (p = 0.0001) after a mean number of 5.33 intravitreal injections. In patients who received ≥7 injections, the VA gain and final VA were significantly higher than in patients who received <7 injections. At M12, 25.45% of DME patients were lost to follow-up versus 16.8% of nAMD patients (n = 55). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the real-life efficacy of ranibizumab in DME at M12 and the need for a large number of injections to achieve better visual outcomes. We also showed a trend to a lower compliance in diabetic versus nAMD patients.

RETICULAR PSEUDODRUSEN ARE NOT A PREDICTIVE FACTOR FOR THE 1-YEAR RESPONSE TO INTRAVITREAL RANIBIZUMAB IN NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To investigate reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) as a potential baseline factor predictive of a poor 1-year response to intravitreal ranibizumab in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: Retrospective, monocentric case series including 98 consecutive naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients. Presence of RPD was assessed by two graders based on color, blue-light, fundus autofluorescence pictures, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. A correlation between the presence of RPD and the visual change was investigated. Other baseline characteristics studied in a monovariate and multivariate analysis were the following: age, gender, affected side, loading dose, type of neovascularization, presence of retinal pigment epithelial detachment >250 µm, subretinal or intraretinal fluid, blood over >50% of the lesion, and subfoveal choroidal thickness. RESULTS: The presence of RPD was not associated with a visual change (P = 0.96), but with a thin subfoveal choroidal thickness at baseline (P < 0.0001). The monovariate analysis showed that the presence of blood at baseline was associated with visual gain (P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The presence of RPD at baseline was not identified as a factor associated with a poor 1-year response to ranibizumab in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Studies with a longer follow-up may be needed to assess the impact of RPD on the visual prognosis of eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

EN FACE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY (OCT) AND OCT ANGIOGRAPHY FINDINGS IN RETINAL ASTROCYTIC HAMARTOMAS.

PURPOSE: To report spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, en face optical coherence tomography (OCT), and optical coherence tomography angiography findings in retinal astrocytic hamartomas. METHODS: Four cases of retinal astrocytic hamartomas, with small white or yellowish typical retinal mass, were imaged with fundus photography, intravenous fluorescein angiography, fundus autofluorescence, spectral-domain OCT, en face OCT, and OCT angiography. RESULTS: The tumor was solitary in all cases and involved the posterior pole. It was idiopathic in three cases and was related to tuberous sclerosis complex in one case. The OCT findings included intralesional lucencies in two cases with no exudation. The tumor was within the retinal nerve fiber layer or deeper, usually overlying the inner plexiform layer providing a protusion in the vitreous cavity. Vitreous changes were present in all cases, corresponding to thickening and adhesion of the vitreous facing the lesion (two cases), apparent interdigitation with vitreous (one case), and marked condensation of the vitreous with interdigitations (one case). En face OCT imaging at the level of the retinal pigment epithelial zone showed a hyporeflective, round, well-delineated mass. A peripheral poorly defined hyperreflectivity with a central hyporeflectivity was observed at the level of mid-retina, likely because of shadowing effect. The OCT-A reveals a dense vascular network within the tumor. CONCLUSION: Retinal astrocytic hamartomas may be well characterized by non-invasive imaging using spectral-domain OCT, en face OCT, and OCT angiography. The OCT angiography seemed to show tumor vascularity, which may represent dilated disorganized and anastomotic superficial and deep plexus capillaries. The tumor is often unique, peripapillary, small in diameter, and dome-shaped on spectral-domain OCT protruding into the vitreous cavity, responsible for vitreous changes facing the lesion.

Estimation of the need for bilateral intravitreal anti-VEGF injections in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: To estimate the need for bilateral intravitreal anti-VEGF injections in patients treated for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), retinal vein occlusion, choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in high myopia, and other causes of CNV. METHODS: All consecutive patients treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection over a 1-month period were included in a prospective multicenter survey. The reason for intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and the involvement of the fellow eye in the pathology requiring a treatment with intravitreal anti-VEGF were recorded. A time interval between bilateral injections longer than 1 month, within a 1-month period, and same-day bilateral injections were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1335 patients were included, corresponding to 1024 (76.7 %) patients treated for nAMD, 167 (12.5 %) for DME, and 144 (10.8 %) for other reasons. Four hundred and fifty-nine (34.4 %) patients were treated bilaterally with a time interval between injections longer than 1 month, 170 (12.7 %) were treated bilaterally within a 1-month interval, and 87 (6.6 %) had same-day bilateral injections. Bilateral injections were more frequent in diabetic patients than in nAMD patients (respectively 48 % vs. 36 %, p = 0.0033). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with DME are more likely to be treated bilaterally with anti-VEGF injections. As the rate of second eye involvement requiring treatment increases progressively over time, a same-day bilateral injection strategy will become more common as it decreases the administrative burden on the healthcare system and treatment burden experienced by patients.

BRIDGE ARCH-SHAPED SEROUS RETINAL DETACHMENT IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To describe bridge arch-shaped serous retinal detachment (SRD) in exudative age-related macular degeneration and evaluate its functional outcomes. METHODS: In this monocentric, retrospective, noncomparative case series, patients were included. Patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration and bridge arch-shaped SRD treated with ranibizumab were included. Anatomical patterns of SRD and functional outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-two eyes with bridge arch-shaped SRD of 22 patients with age-related macular degeneration were included. Serous retinal detachments were characterized by a steep angle at the junction between the retinal pigment epithelium and the sensory retina (mean, 53.45 ± 12.5°), and characterized by the presence of adhesion areas between the sensory retina and a fibrous complex developed from the choroidal neovascularization. In 15 eyes, the choroidal neovascularization was classic choroidal neovascularization and a fibrotic evolution was observed. Serous retinal detachments were compartmentalized in 14 eyes, leading to a multipocket structure. Visual acuity decreased from 49.9 ± 19.2 letters (20/100) to 40.3 ± 18.6 letters (20/160), corresponding to a mean change of -9.6 ± 19.4 letters. CONCLUSION: This was the first study to describe the specific morphologic features of bridge arch-shaped SRD, a previously undescribed type of SRD complicating exudative age-related macular degeneration. Patients with bridge arch-shaped SRD responded to intravitreal injections of ranibizumab, but their visual prognosis was unfavorable, compared with the literature. The presence of bridge arch-shaped SRD seemed to be a marker for the fibrotic evolution of the choroidal neovascularization.

PERIPAPILLARY RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM CHANGES IN AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To describe peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes observed in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and evaluate their prevalence. METHODS: This study is a prospective, monocentric, comparative case series including 104 consecutive patients with AMD, and 34 patients who are more than 60 years old and consulting for other conditions (control group). Color and fundus autofluorescence images centered on the optic disk were taken and graded by 2 independent readers from 0 to 4: 0, absent; 1, uneven background; 2, focal hyperautofluorescent dots and spots; 3, light reticular pattern; 4, dense reticular pattern. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate the presence of peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes with age, sex, and AMD subtype. RESULTS: Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes were observed in 76/104 AMD eyes (73.0%) and were significantly more frequent than in eyes with other conditions (14/34, 41.1%, P = 0.002), whereas groups did not differ for age (P = 0.14). Grade ≥2 peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes were more frequently observed in patients with AMD than in controls (41.3 vs. 17.6%, P = 0.013). No differences were found between patients with AMD having peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes and other patients for age distribution (P = 0.14), sex ratio (P = 0.34), or AMD type (P = 0.57). CONCLUSION: Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes were more frequent in patients with AMD than in controls, and when present, they were of higher grade. Peripapillary retinal pigment epithelium changes significance is not yet understood and needs further evaluation.

CHOROIDAL THICKENING IN PATIENTS WITH CUTICULAR DRUSEN COMBINED WITH VITELLIFORM MACULAR DETACHMENT.

PURPOSE: To analyze the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in patients with cuticular drusen. METHODS: Retrospective, monocentric, study of consecutive patients examined with enhanced depth imaging spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD-OCT, Cirrus, Zeiss) between 2009 and 2014 in a tertiary care center. Measurements of the height of the subfoveal vitelliform detachment and SFCT were manually performed. RESULTS: Thirteen patients, 3 men and 10 women, aged from 35 to 73 (mean: 53.6 years) were selected. For the 24 eyes without macular atrophy at first visit, SFCT ranged from 195 to 559 µm (mean ± SD = 317.5 ± 93). The SFCT was significantly thicker in 12 eyes with vitelliform macular detachment at presentation (369 ± 96, median = 368.5) than in 12 eyes without (266 ± 58, median = 257.5) (P = 0.007), whereas the 2 groups did not differ in age (P = 0.35) or refractive error (P = 0.56). No correlation was observed between SFCT and the height of the foveal detachment. For 10 eyes followed up longer than 24 months (mean: 38.9 months), the SFCT significantly decreased over time, from 375 ± 96 (median = 368.5) to 303 ± 138 (median = 319) µm (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Eyes with cuticular drusen combined with vitelliform macular detachment present with choroidal thickening, suggesting that the choroidal vasculature may play a role in the occurrence of macular detachments in patients with cuticular drusen. The life cycle of these vitelliform lesions evolves from translucent subretinal fluid to the accumulation of yellowish material eventually resolving and leading to atrophy with marked and rapid thinning of the choroid.

Flat irregular retinal pigment epithelium detachments in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy and choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence of flat, irregular pigment epithelium detachments (PEDs) in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and to determine whether they are consistent with active choroidal neovascularization (CNV). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Review of medical records of patients with chronic CSC who were examined in the Ophthalmology Department of Lariboisière Hospital between June 1, 2007 and May 31, 2013. Multimodal imaging of the fundus, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence, and indocyanine green and fluorescein angiography, was available in most cases. RESULTS: One hundred and ten patients with chronic CSC were identified. Fifty-three eyes of 38 patients showed flat irregular PED on macular OCT examination. Mean age was 58.6 ± 13.2 years. Twenty-eight patients (73.6%) patients were male. Fifteen patients (39.4%) had bilateral flat irregular PEDs. The mean follow-up duration was 14.6 years (range: 2-39 years). PEDs were suggestive of type 1 CNV in 10 eyes, but no other signs of AMD, specifically no drusen, were present. In the remaining 43 eyes, flat irregular PEDs were stable over time (mean follow-up duration: 15 years) with no evidence of active neovascularization. CONCLUSION: Although the possible occurrence of type 1 CNV complicating the course of chronic CSC should not be ignored, all cases of flat irregular PED should not be mistaken for active CNV and systematically treated with anti-VEGF. Nevertheless, in some cases with worsened vision not responding to usual CSC therapy, anti-VEGF could be considered as a therapeutic test to rule out the presence of secondary CNV.

Long-term variable outcome of myopic choroidal neovascularization treated with ranibizumab.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of ranibizumab for the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in a clinical setting. METHODS: This was a retrospective, monocentric, noncomparative analysis of 51 eyes of 51 patients with naïve juxtafoveal or subfoveal myopic CNV treated with intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) on a pro re nata basis for at least 24 months. The patients' demographic data were recorded, including the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measured with an ETDRS chart, location of the CNV, grade of myopic changes, central foveal thickness (CFT), and number of administered IVR. Outcome measures were to determine the changes in BCVA, identify the factors influencing the visual outcome, compare the best visual gain obtained for each treated eye with the final visual gain, and identify the cause of the relative decline in the visual acuity, when present. RESULTS: BCVA improved from 58.7 ± 19.0 letters at baseline to 66.3 ± 16.2 letters at the final visit (P = 0.001; mean visual gain: +7.6 ± 15.6 letters). Multivariate analysis did not identify any correlation between the visual gain and age, sex, grade of myopic fundus changes, CNV location, or initial protocol. The mean IVR number was 3.5 ± 2.8 injections (range 1-12; median 3) for a mean follow-up of 39.3 ± 11.3 months (range 24-69). Twenty-one eyes experienced a relative decline in BCVA during the follow-up, which was attributable in 16 cases to myopic atrophic changes. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ranibizumab resulted in long-term efficacy in the treatment of myopic CNV. However, some eyes may present a long-term relative decline in their initial visual gain.

Intravitreal ranibizumab and/or dexamethasone implant for macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: To investigate the outcome of intravitreal ranibizumab and/or dexamethasone implant treatment for treatment of macular edema (ME) secondary to central or branch retinal vein occlusion (CRVO or BRVO) in a clinical setting. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive patients followed for at least 6 months. Data recorded included the type of occlusion, initial and final visual acuity, and number of injections. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were included, 26 had CRVO and 39 BRVO. Mean (± SD) follow-up duration was 16 (± 7.7) months. Twenty-four (36.9%) patients received ranibizumab in monotherapy, 19 patients (29.3%) dexamethasone in monotherapy, and 22 patients (33.8%) received successively both treatments. In dexamethasone-treated patients, mean (± SD) visual acuity gain was 5.8 ± 10.7 letters for BRVO and 16.8 ± 15.6 letters for CRVO. In ranibizumab-treated patients, mean (± SD) visual acuity gain was 9.2 ± 10 letters for BRVO and 18.2 ± 20.5 letters for CRVO. CONCLUSION: Both intravitreal ranibizumab and dexamethasone intravitreal implant could be used as first-line therapy for patients with ME secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

Imaging in retina units: changes observed during the last 12 years.

PURPOSE: The last decade has seen many improvements in the imaging of the choroids, retina, and vitreous. However, there are no available data about changes in the practice of imaging in retina units. The present study was therefore undertaken to document the 12-year changes in this practice in retina units in France, particularly the relative changes in the distribution of the different imaging methods. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed in 4 different retina units considered to be representative of retina units in France. They comprise 2 departments of ophthalmology in university-based hospitals in Paris and Nantes, one in a non-university-based general hospital in Orleans, and one private tertiary care clinical center located in Paris. The annual numbers for the different retinal imaging methods performed in the 4 units between 2000 and 2011 were recorded, analyzed, and compared. RESULTS: The total of images performed increased during the last decade, from 16,084 in 2000 to 76,318 in 2011. The distribution of the imaging techniques performed each year changed significantly during this period (p<0.0001, χ² test): the share of fluorescein angiography decreased from 78.7% in 2000 to 7.0% in 2011. During this period, the share of indocyanine green angiography also dropped from 11.3% to 1.3%. The share of optical coherence tomography increased from 26.4% in 2003 to 53.4% in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: The present study documents the increasing share of noninvasive imaging and the decreasing share of angiography in retina units over the last 12 years.

Bimonthly ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Recently, aflibercept was proposed with a protocol of a bimonthly fixed regimen. Our purpose was to evaluate the results of this regimen in patients treated with ranibizumab. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with a bimonthly fixed regimen of intravitreal injections of ranibizumab after 3 monthly injections. Examination was performed every 4 weeks for 52 weeks, with the possibility of unscheduled rescue injections of ranibizumab. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients, 24 women and 3 men, aged from 68 to 90 years (mean: 81.2) were analyzed; 25 eyes (92.5%) lost <15 letters. Mean BCVA rose from 58.3 (range ± 12.9) to 66.7 (range ± 14.3) letters. The mean visual gain was 8.40 (range ± 13.2) letters; 11 patients (40.7%) gained ≥ 15 letters. The mean number of injections of ranibizumab was 8.77. CONCLUSION: Bimonthly intravitreal ranibizumab achieved satisfactory visual results. However, patients who required additional injections did not experience significant visual gain.

Ranibizumab for exudative AMD in a clinical setting: differences between 2007 and 2010.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Visual results of ranibizumab given pro re nata in clinical settings depend greatly from the achievement of the monthly follow-up. In 2007, a previous study performed in our tertiary care showed a mean visual gain of only + 0.7 ETDRS chart letters, probably because of insufficient number of follow-up visits and injections. We report a second retrospective study of patients whose eyes were treated in the same setting, and whose first injection was performed after April 1 2010. The aim was to check if the changes in the management of AMD patients between 2010 and 2007 achieved better visual results. METHOD: One hundred and twenty-two patients (125 eyes) with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) were included. Age, gender, side, type of CNV, VA measured on an ETDRS chart at baseline and at 52 ± 6 weeks, the number of IVT performed, and follow-up visits were recorded. The series was compared to our former series of the year 2007. Results are expressed as means ± standard deviation. Mann-Whitney's non-parametric test was used to compare the statistical distribution of the parameters measured. Fisher's exact test was used for 2 × 2 categorical variables, and the chi-square test for others. RESULTS: In the 2010 series, the mean visual gain was +6.0 ± 11.0 l (-35 to + 34). During this period, the eyes had 5.0 ± 1.8 IVT and 7.8 ± 1.4 follow-up visits. No correlation was found between the change in VA and gender, type of CNV, age, or the numbers of IVT and visits. There was a reverse correlation between baseline VA and VA changes (r = -0.413, p < 0.0001): i.e., the higher the VA at presentation, the smaller the gain. Comparison between 2010 and 2007 showed that in 2010, patients were older (82.2 ± 7.0 vs 78.3 ± 7.0 y, p < 0.0001), had a better baseline VA (60.6 ± 12.7 vs 56.1 ± 14.6 l, p = 0.0191) and, despite the reverse correlation between change in VA and VA at presentation, visual results were better: +6.0 ± 11.0 vs +0.7 ± 11.99 l, p = 0.0003. In 2010, eyes received more injections: 5.0 ± 1.8 vs 3.8 ± 1.4 in 2007, p < 0.0001. However, the series did not differ for the number of visits, gender, side or type of CNV. CONCLUSIONS: In 2010, monotherapy with ranibizumab for exudative AMD achieved better visual results than in 2007 in our clinical setting, despite the treatment of older patients with better baseline VA. This is probably due to the greater number of IVT performed. Alternate strategies, such as "inject and extend" or maintenance therapy, may also account for the better visual results.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography analysis of macular changes in tilted disk syndrome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of macular complications in tilted disk syndrome by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study of consecutive patients with tilted disk syndrome, whose eyes were examined by spectral domain OCT (Cirrus; Zeiss) and fundus photography. RESULTS: Fifty consecutive patients (39 women and 11 men; age range, 41-96 years) with uni- or bilateral tilted disk syndrome were enrolled. All affected eyes (n = 92) were imaged by spectral domain OCT and fundus photography. Fluorescein and/or indocyanine green angiography were performed in 33 patients (66%). Macular anomalies or complications were observed in 71 eyes (77.1%). Specifically, retinal pigment epithelial changes were described in 34 eyes (36.9%), choroidal neovascularization in 24 eyes (26%), and macular serous retinal detachment in 16 eyes (17.3%). Epiretinal membrane in 9 eyes (9.7%), myopic foveoschisis in 5 eyes (5.4%), and lamellar macular hole in 3 eyes (3.2%) were also detected relatively frequently by spectral domain OCT. Surprisingly, fovea plana was observed in 5 eyes (5.4%). Eleven eyes, complicated by choroidal neovascularization, were treated with ranibizumab, with a mean visual gain of 7.9 letters on Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart. CONCLUSION: Tilted disk syndrome can be associated with potentially severe macular complications. Spectral domain OCT allowed the recognition of additional macular changes associated with tilted disk syndrome, such as epiretinal membranes, myopic foveoschisis, and fovea plana.