[Long-Term Outcome in Patients with Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy for Exudative AMD]

Randomized controlled phase III studies have shown that intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy is effective for exsudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) over two years. Recently, the seven-year outcomes in ranibizumab-treated patients of the ranibizumab phase III studies have been published. Only a few other studies with such a long follow-up for intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy in patients with exsudative AMD have been published so far. We report on the outcome of patients receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy for exudative AMD at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Zurich with follow-up of 3 to 7 years.

Retrospective chart review of all patients treated at our institution for exudative AMD with begin of treatment since 2006.

The numbers of patients with a follow-up of 3 to 4, 4 to 5, 5 to 6, 6 to 7, and more than 7 years were 430, 277, 151, 87, and 47, respectively. Mean follow-up time was 4.9 years, and median was 4.6 years. Changes in visual acuity for these patients were -5.0, -7.8, -11.7, -12.8, and -19.2 ETDRS letters, respectively.

Whereas in patients with exudative AMD during the first two years of intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment visual acuity can at least be stabilised, after three and more years visual acuity decreases in spite of continued treatment.