Visual acuity change after intravitreal bevacizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration in relation to subfoveal membrane type

Abstract

Purpose: To examine an association between the subfoveal neovascular membrane type and visual acuity change after intravitreal bevacizumab injection for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: We carried out a clinical, retrospective, interventional case-series study including 66 consecutive patients (67 eyes) with exudative AMD who received an intravitreal injection of 1.5 mg bevacizumab. Study subgroups included the occult type without or with minimally classic subfoveal neovascularization (n = 28 eyes, 42%), predominantly or purely classic subfoveal neovascularization (n = 22 eyes, 33%), and eyes with retinal pigment epithelium detachment (n = 17 eyes, 25%). Follow-up was >or= 2 months.

Results: The maximal visual acuity (VA) gain (mean +/- standard deviation - 0.07 +/- 0.30 logMAR, 0.5 +/- 2.9 Snellen lines; p = 0.87), and VA gain at 1 month (p = 0.10), 2 months (p = 0.77) and 3 months (p = 0.35) after the injection did not vary significantly between the three study subgroups. Correspondingly, a multivariate analysis did not reveal a statistically significant (p = 0.57) influence of subfoveal lesion type on gain in VA.

Conclusions: Visual improvement after intravitreal bevacizumab does not differ markedly between various types of subfoveal neovascularization in AMD.