Article Text

other Versions

Download PDFPDF
Low fluence rate photodynamic therapy combined with intravitreal bevacizumab for neovascular age related macular degeneration.
  1. Ciro Costagliola1,
  2. Mario R Romano1,*,
  3. Michele Rinaldi2,
  4. Robeto dell'Omo1,
  5. Flavia Chiosi2,
  6. Massimo Menzione2,
  7. Francesco Semeraro3
  1. 1 University of Molise, Italy;
  2. 2 Second University of Naples, Italy;
  3. 3 University of Brescia, Italy
  1. Correspondence to: Mario R Romano, University of Molise, Via F. De Sanctis, Campobasso, 86100, Italy; romanomario{at}email.it

Abstract

Aims: to report efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) alone versus IVB plus low fluence PDT in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and to verify the occurrence of a synergistic effect of the combined approach on visual acuity, size and morphology of lesion, as well as on the treatment rate.

Method: prospective comparative interventional study on 85 patients with treatment naive classic, or predominantly classic, subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to AMD. Patients were randomly assigned to Group 1 (IVB injections) and Group 2 (IVB plus low fluence PDT). In Group 2 the PDT with verteporfin was delivered with low fluence rate (300mW/cm2 for 83seconds, 25 J/cm2). The follow-up was scheduled at 1-,3-,6-, 9- and 12-months.

Results: The eye without recurrence received a mean of 2.8 (Group1) vs 1.4 (Group2) IVB injections, whereas the eyes with recurrence received a mean of 3.2 (Group1) vs 2.2 (Group2) IVB injections. The difference in re-injections rate between the two Groups was statistically significant (P =0.03, ANOVA test). Visual acuity improvement was not statistically significant between the two Groups (P=0.31).

Conclusion: The combination of IVB with low fluence PDT for the treatment of classic or predominantly classic neovascular AMD works in a synergistic fashion with a significant reduction of IVB re-injections rate.

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes

Linked Articles