[Strategies of Intravitreal Injections with Anti-VEGF: "Pro re Nata versus Treat and Extend"]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Pharmacological Treatments

Background:

• Intravitreal anti-VEGF agents are standard for retinal diseases like neovascular AMD, DME, and RVO.
• Treatment regimens include pro re nata (PRN) and treat-and-extend (T&E).
• Optimizing treatment strategies is crucial for visual outcomes and patient burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and compare PRN and T&E regimens using intravitreal anti-VEGF agents.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and visual outcomes of these regimens based on current evidence.
• To discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and monitoring aspects of each regimen.

Main Methods:

• Review of pivotal trials and studies on PRN and T&E regimens.
• Analysis of visual outcomes and injection frequency.
• Discussion of disease monitoring and individualized treatment intervals.

Main Results:

• PRN regimens are often insufficient for optimal visual outcomes in clinical practice.
• T&E regimens demonstrate improved visual outcomes with potentially fewer injections than monthly regimens.
• T&E requires fewer monitoring visits compared to PRN, reducing patient burden.

Conclusions:

• Individualized T&E regimens offer a promising approach for managing retinal diseases with anti-VEGF agents.
• T&E can enhance visual outcomes while reducing treatment frequency and healthcare costs.
• Further research into optimizing T&E protocols is warranted for better patient care.