%0 Journal Article
%T Bevacizumab versus Ranibizumab on As-Needed Treatment Regimen for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Turkish Patients
%A Abdullah Ozkaya
%A Zeynep Alkin
%A Yalcin Karakucuk
%A Dilek Yasa
%A Ahmet Taylan Yazici
%A Ahmet Demirok
%J ISRN Ophthalmology
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/151027
%X Purpose. To compare the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab versus ranibizumab in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods. Retrospective, comparative study. The newly diagnosed nAMD patients who were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab on an as-needed treatment regimen were included in the study. Main outcome measures were the change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and central retinal thickness (CRT). Secondary outcome measures were the number of injections, and complications. Results. A total of 154 patients were included in the study. Bevacizumab group consisted of 79 patients, and ranibizumab group consisted of 74 patients. Mean follow-up time was 18.9 months, and 18.3 months in the bevacizumab and ranibizumab groups, respectively. There was not a significant difference between the two groups regarding the change in BCVA and CRT at all time points ( for all). The mean number of injections at month 12 was 4.8 and 4.7 in bevacizumab and ranibizumab groups, respectively ( ). No serious complications were detected in any of the groups. Conclusion. Both of the bevacizumab and ranibizumab found to be effective in the treatment of nAMD in regards of functional and anatomical outcomes with similar number of treatments and similar side effects. 1. Introduction Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a leading cause of visual loss among elderly population [1, 2]. Before the introduction of intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents for the treatment of nAMD, only prevention from visual acuity loss might have been achieved in a limited number of patients with different treatment options like laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, and vitreoretinal surgery [3¨C9]. Intravitreal treatments with bevacizumab (full length antibody against VEGF-A) and ranibizumab (Fab part of antibody against VEGF-A) have led the majority of the patients to prevent the baseline visual acuity (VA) and even to achieve visual improvement in some of the patients [10, 11]. The multicenter studies with ranibizumab, like MARINA, ANCHOR, PRONTO, and EXCITE, and the comparative study of ranibizumab and bevacizumab, the CATT study, showed that ranibizumab and bevacizumab were effective to prevent VA loss up to 95% of the patients and is effective to make an improvement in VA up to 40% of the patients [11¨C15]. Today, the CATT trial answered the questions about the efficacy of bevacizumab versus ranibizumab and showed that both drugs had similar effects in the treatment of nAMD.
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.ophthalmology/2013/151027/