gms | German Medical Science

22nd Annual Meeting of the German Retina Society

German Retina Society

26.06. - 27.06.2009, Berlin

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Intravitreal anti-VEGF-therapy in myopic CNV – Overview of literature and own experiences

Meeting Abstract

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  • Dominique Ottenberg - Charité University Eye Clinic of Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin
  • A. Köhler - Charité University Eye Clinic of Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin
  • M. H. Foerster - Charité University Eye Clinic of Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin

German Retina Society. 22nd Annual Meeting of the German Retina Society. Berlin, 26.-27.06.2009. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2009. DocRG2009-17

doi: 10.3205/09rg18, urn:nbn:de:0183-09rg181

This is the English version of the article.
The German version can be found at: http://www.egms.de/de/meetings/rg2009/09rg18.shtml

Published: June 29, 2009

© 2009 Ottenberg et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Background: A choroidal neovaskularisation (CNV) is a complication of high myopia affecting visual function. The only approved therapy is photodynamic therapy (PDT) for which a stabilisation of visual function was proven. The efficacy of intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF has been shown in multiple trials for treatment of choroidal neovascularisations associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This treatment has been also used in CNV due to myopia. In investigations conducted so far improvement of visual function was reported.

Methods: Current literature will be presented in summary. Additional we will report own experiences in clinical therapy (treatments between July 2002 and march 2009). 16 eyes have been treated with sole intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and/or ranibizumab, another 18 eyes were treated with additional PDT simultaneously.

Results: Regarding the 16 eyes treated only with injections in 4 eyes an improvement of visual function was observed, 10 eyes were functionally stable and 9 eyes needed retreatment. In 6 of 18 eyes treated with combining therapy an improvement of visual acuity of more than one row was documented, in 12 eyes visual function was stable. 2 of these eyes had to be treated again with combining therapy, another 4 only with intravitreal injections.

Conclusions: Intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF are an effective possibility of treatment for CNV due to myopia. The experiences so far show positive results regarding anatomy and function. Thus this therapy should be also considered as first line therapy regarding possible improvement of visual function.