Purpose:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab injection for exudative age-related macular degeneration.
Material and Method:
In this study, we included forty-eight eyes of 43 age-related macular degeneration patients followed for at least twelve months. Mean age was 73.65±8.93 years and mean follow-up time was 14.2 months. All patients received three consecutive monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections and then were followed up with clinical examination and optic coherence tomography monthly. Re-injection was executed as needed.
Results:
Twenty patients were male (46.5%) and twenty-three patients were female (53.5%). The average number of ranibizumab injection was 3.7 (3-7) per eye. Twenty-six lesions (54.2%) were classic (predominantly and minimally) and twenty-two (45.8%) were occult. Mean best-corrected visual acuity was 46.8 letters with ETDRS chart at the initial examination and 55.5 letters at twelfth month. Mean central foveal thickness decreased from 320 microns to 269 microns. There was a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity and central foveal thickness. On the other hand, this improvement was not significant between lesion types. During follow-up, there were no systemic or serious ocular complications determined.
Discussion:
Intravitreal ranibizumab injection is safe and effective, both anatomically and functionally, for age-related macular degeneration. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2012; 42: 25-9)
Keywords: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration, intravitreal ranibizumab, choroidal neovascular membrane