TY - JOUR
T1 - Low fluence rate photodynamic therapy combined with intravitreal bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration
AU - Costagliola, Ciro
AU - Romano, Mario R.
AU - Rinaldi, Michele
AU - Dell'Omo, Roberto
AU - Chiosi, Flavia
AU - Menzione, Massimo
AU - Semeraro, Francesco
PY - 2010/2
Y1 - 2010/2
N2 - Aims: To report the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) alone versus IVB plus low-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and to verify the occurrence of a synergistic effect of the combined approach on visual acuity, size and morphology of lesion, as well as on the treatment rate. Method: Prospective comparative interventional study on 85 patients with treatment-naive classic, or predominantly classic, subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation secondary to AMD. Patients were randomly assigned to group 1 (IVB injections) and group 2 (IVB plus low fluence PDT). In group 2, the PDT with verteporfin was delivered with a low fluence rate (300 mW/cm2 for 83 s, 25 J/cm2). The follow-up was scheduled at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Results: The eye without recurrence received a mean of 2.8 (group 1) versus 1.4 (group 2) IVB injections, whereas the eyes with recurrence received a mean of 3.2 (group 1) versus 2.2 (group 2) IVB injections. The difference in reinjection rate between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.03, ANOVA test). Visual acuity improvement was not statistically significant between the two groups (p=0.31). Conclusion: The combination of IVB with low fluence PDT for the treatment of classic or predominantly classic neovascular AMD works in a synergistic fashion with a significant reduction in IVB reinjections rate.
AB - Aims: To report the efficacy and safety of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) alone versus IVB plus low-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and to verify the occurrence of a synergistic effect of the combined approach on visual acuity, size and morphology of lesion, as well as on the treatment rate. Method: Prospective comparative interventional study on 85 patients with treatment-naive classic, or predominantly classic, subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation secondary to AMD. Patients were randomly assigned to group 1 (IVB injections) and group 2 (IVB plus low fluence PDT). In group 2, the PDT with verteporfin was delivered with a low fluence rate (300 mW/cm2 for 83 s, 25 J/cm2). The follow-up was scheduled at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Results: The eye without recurrence received a mean of 2.8 (group 1) versus 1.4 (group 2) IVB injections, whereas the eyes with recurrence received a mean of 3.2 (group 1) versus 2.2 (group 2) IVB injections. The difference in reinjection rate between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.03, ANOVA test). Visual acuity improvement was not statistically significant between the two groups (p=0.31). Conclusion: The combination of IVB with low fluence PDT for the treatment of classic or predominantly classic neovascular AMD works in a synergistic fashion with a significant reduction in IVB reinjections rate.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=76149131365&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=76149131365&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bjo.2009.159343
DO - 10.1136/bjo.2009.159343
M3 - Article
C2 - 19965822
AN - SCOPUS:76149131365
VL - 94
SP - 180
EP - 184
JO - British Journal of Ophthalmology
JF - British Journal of Ophthalmology
SN - 0007-1161
IS - 2
ER -