Intravitreal bevacizumab for exudative age-related macular degeneration: effect on different subfoveal membranes

The purpose of this study was to assess an association between specific types of subfoveal neovascularization and the change in visual acuity after intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland) as treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration.

This retrospective clinical interventional comparative study included 307 patients (378 eyes) who received 3 consecutive intravitreal injections of bevacizumab at intervals of 2 months each. The study group was divided into eyes with a predominantly or purely classic type of subfoveal neovascular membrane (n = 81), those with an occult type with or without minimally classic subfoveal neovascularization (n = 232), and eyes with a detachment of the retinal pigment epithelium (n = 65).

The gain in best-corrected visual acuity did not vary significantly among the 3 subgroups at 2 months after baseline (P = 0.35 and P = 0.27), at 4 months after baseline (P = 0.63 and P = 0.56), or at the final follow-up at 7 months after baseline (P = 0.85 and P = 0.76). In multivariate linear regression analysis, the gain in best-corrected visual acuity at the final follow-up was significantly associated with the best-corrected visual acuity at baseline (P < 0.001). It was not significantly associated with age (P = 0.61), sex (P = 0.12), self-reported diabetes (P = 0.79), lens status (P = 0.84), or type of subfoveal neovascularization (P = 0.53).

After an intravitreal application of bevacizumab given as therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration at 2-month intervals, the patient's gain in visual acuity did not depend on the type of the subfoveal neovascular membranes.