Intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to angioid streaks

To assess the medium to long-term efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to angioid streaks (AS).

A total of 12 eyes of nine patients treated with intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5 mg in 0.05 ml) for CNV secondary to AS were retrospectively identified. Efficacy of treatment was determined by changes in best-corrected LogMAR visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography. Changes with respect to baseline BCVA were defined as improved or reduced with a gain or loss of more than 10 letters, respectively, or stable if remaining within 10 letters.

Over a mean follow-up of 21.75 months (range: 1-54), patients received mean 5.75 (range: 2-15) intravitreal ranibizumab injections per affected eye. BCVA improved in three eyes (25%), stabilised in eight eyes (66.67%), and deteriorated in one eye (8.33%). There was no significant change in central retinal thickness (CRT) over the follow-up period (P=0.1072). No drug-related systemic side effects were recorded.

The long-term treatment of CNV secondary to AS with intravitreal ranibizumab showed a stabilisation in CRT and an improvement or stabilisation of BCVA. The absence of systemic side effects was reassuring. Further long-term prospective studies are required to validate these findings.