Treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy by intravitreal injection of bevacizumab.

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). METHODS: Seventeen eyes of 16 patients with either subfoveal or juxtafoveal PCV were treated with IVB. As the initial treatment, ten eyes were treated with a single injection of bevacizumab and seven were treated with three monthly injections. Additional IVB injections were performed in 15 eyes when either a recurrent or residual exudative change was seen. Follow-up after initiation of IVB ranged from 12 to 30 months (mean, 20.7 +/- 5.7 months). RESULTS: The mean foveal thickness before IVB (492 +/- 205 microm) decreased to 384 +/- 181 microm at 3 months (P = 0.0008), and with additional IVB for recurrent exudative changes, the foveal thickness remained significantly reduced at 12 months (392 +/- 203 microm, P = 0.0270). Mean visual acuity at baseline (0.54 +/- 0.38 in logMAR) somewhat improved to 0.45 +/- 0.32 at 3 months (P = 0.156). However, the improvement in visual acuity then subsided, and returned to the pretreatment value at 12 months (0.54 +/- 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with PCV, IVB can reduce the exudative change and can maintain visual function for at least 1 year.