INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB IN THE TREATMENT OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULAR MEMBRANE DUE TO ANGIOID STREAKS.

PURPOSE: To investigate the results of intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to angioid streaks and to assess the factors influencing disease progression.

METHODS

Patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) for CNV secondary to angioid streaks were reviewed retrospectively. In addition to demographic findings, ophthalmologic findings at baseline and during follow-ups were recorded.

RESULTS

Twenty-three eyes of 20 patients (mean age, 45.7 years; 7 women) were included in the study. Mean follow-up was 23 months. Mean number of injections was 5.1. Initial and final logMAR visual acuity was not different (0.53 ± 0.33 and 0.60 ± 0.40 logMAR, P = 0.79). At the last examination, patients with final active CNV (N = 14) were younger (mean age, 42 years) than patients with final inactive CNV (N = 9) (mean age, 52 years). The former group required higher number of injections (6.6 vs. 2.8, P = 0.013). Eyes with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (N = 10) needed injections every 4.4 months while the others (N = 13) every 7.2 months (P = 0.072). Pseudoxanthoma elasticum positivity ended up with active membranes in 70% of the cases, composing half of the overall final active CNVs in this study.

CONCLUSION

Intravitreal bevacizumab stabilized vision in eyes with CNV and angioid streaks. At younger ages, CNV behaved more aggressively and seemed to be more resistant to treatment.