TY - JOUR T1 - Eighteen-month follow-up of intravitreal bevacizumab in type 2 idiopathic macular telangiectasia JF - British Journal of Ophthalmology JO - Br J Ophthalmol SP - 941 LP - 945 DO - 10.1136/bjo.2007.129627 VL - 92 IS - 7 AU - P Charbel Issa AU - R P Finger AU - F G Holz AU - H P N Scholl Y1 - 2008/07/01 UR - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/92/7/941.abstract N2 - Aim: To evaluate the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab for non-proliferative type 2 idiopathic macular telangiectasia (type 2 IMT) within a mean follow-up period of 18 months.Methods: The authors retrospectively studied six eyes of five patients with type 2 IMT who received two doses of intravitreal bevacizumab (1.5 mg) at a 4-week interval, followed by further applications depending on disease activity. Examinations included biomicroscopy, standardised visual acuity (VA) testing, fluorescein angiography, retinal thickness analysis by optical coherence tomography and fundus-controlled microperimetry.Results: Mean follow-up time was 18 months (range 16ā€“21 months). The mean VA at four selected time points (1 month after second treatment, 1 month and 3ā€“4 months after last treatment, and at last visit) increased significantly (by 8.8, 6.3, 7.7 and 8.7 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, respectively; all pā©½0.05). Parafoveal leakage in fluorescein angiography and mean central retinal thickness decreased in all eyes following treatment. A rebound effect was observed after 3ā€“4 months, and at the last visit, retinal thickness was increased in selected retinal sectors including the fellow eye.Conclusion: Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by intravitreally injected bevacizumab may lead to functional improvement as well as a transient decrease in leakage and retinal thickness in patients with type 2 IMT. A VEGF-mediated active disease stage in which treatment might be most effective is discussed. ER -