[OCT-based re-injections for anti-VEGF-treatment for neovascular ARMD]

We present an optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based individual reinjection procedure for bevacizumab treatment in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).

Thirty-two patients with active subfoveal occult choroidal neovascularisation in ARMD received a single intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg bevacizumab and were reinjected based on new or persisting subretinal or intraretinal fluid on OCT. Patient visits were every 6-8 weeks.

After a single injection, 74% of patients demonstrated complete retinal fluid absorption, with 44% of patients showing no relapse during a follow-up of 30+/-13 weeks. Fifty-six percent of patients required a second injection after a mean of 19+/-8 weeks, with 82% of patients showing absorption of macular fluid thereafter with regain of their previous achieved best-corrected visual acuity. Thirty-two percent did not require any further injection (follow-up 32+/-12 weeks). Of those patients not showing retinal fluid absorption after the first injection (26%), 44% demonstrated retinal fluid absorption after the second injection. All patients achieved stabilisation of visual acuity during follow-up, with 30% of patients showing a significant gain of >or=3 lines.

OCT-based reinjections of bevacizumab in neovascular ARMD reduce the number of injections and lead to anatomic and functional retinal stabilisation.