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Bevacizumab for myopic CNV results are encouraging after 10 months follow-up
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KOLOA, Hawaii — A retrospective case series of intravitreal bevacizumab injections for the treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization shows improved visual results and good safety, according to a speaker here.
At the Retina 2007 meeting, held in conjunction with Hawaiian Eye 2007, Elias Reichel, MD, presented updated results from a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology on Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) intravitreal injections. The updated results included data for 15 eyes of 13 patients at a mean of 10 months follow-up.
 Elias Reichel, MD, presented updated results from a study evaluating intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) for myopic CNV. Image: Singer H, OSN |
According to Dr. Reichel, about 10% of eyes with degenerative myopia develop CNV and, if left untreated, more than 90% of eyes deteriorate to 20/200 or worse after 10 years.
In the study, baseline visual acuity was 20/20 to 20/40 in one eye; 20/50 to 20/100 in eight eyes; 20/200 or worse in six eyes. At the last follow-up exam, six eyes were 20/20 to 20/40; seven eyes were 20/50 to 20/100 and only two eyes were 20/200 or worse. There was a mean improvement of 3 lines.
Baseline central foveal thickness was 324 µm and, at 10 months, central foveal thickness was 229 µm, for an average reduction of 93 µm, Dr. Reichel said.
For the treatment, one eye received five injections, one eye received three injections, two eyes received two injections and 11 eyes received one injection.
"There were no complications in this small case series," Dr. Reichel said. "There were no retinal tears or retinal detachments and no endophthalmitis."
For the future, Dr. Reichel added, "I think something important is that because we aren't going to have clinical trials for these oddball cases, we really have to pull our safety data from other case series and see if we are inducing retinal tears or detachment."
Dr. Reichel also added one cautionary note: "Most of the subjects were women, and it's very important to take a good history. Personally, I won't treat a pregnant woman."