Avastin in age related macular degeneration

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the preliminary results of the treatment with Bevacizumab (Avastin) in the neovascular (wet) form of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). MATERIAL METHOD: The study is retrospective and includes 20 consecutive patients (27 eyes) who had received Avastin intravitreally, hospitalized in the Ophthalmology Clinic from Cluj-Napoca, between September 2007-March 2009, for wet AMD. Every patient had received 3 Avastin injections, approximately one month apart. Each dosis consisted of 0.05 ml (1.25 mg) Avastin. The therapeutical effect has been evaluated by: the value of the visual acuity (VA), the foveolar thickness (FT) and the total macular volume (TMV), before and after the treatment. In order to measure the VA, the classical optotipe has been used and the FT and the TMV have been evaluated by Time Domain (TD)-OCT. The follow-up period has varied between 4-10 months. The statistical interpretation of the results has been performed by the use of the Student t test, a p value < 0.05 being considered statistically sirgnificant. RESULTS: Of the 27 treated eyes, 8 (30%) had a favorable evolution of the VA, 15 (55%)--a stationary one and 4 eyes (15%) had an unfavorable outcome. The FT decreased (favorable evolution) in 18 eyes (66.66%) and increased (unfavorable evolution) in 9 eyes (33.33%). The TMV had a favorable evolution (decrease) in 21 eyes (77.77%) and an unfavorable one (increase), in 6 eyes (22.22%). CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative evolution of the VA has been predominantly stationary (55% of the eyes). Most patients described an improvement in the quality of vision, even if the VA has remained unchanged. The evolution of the FT and of the TMV has been predominantly favorable: 66.66%, 77.77% respectively. We noted the direct correlation between the evolution of the VA and of the morphological parameters evaluated by OCT, only in 33.33% of the treated eyes.