Intravitreal aflibercept for the treatment of radiation-induced macular edema after ruthenium 106 plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To assess the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept in patients suffering from post-radiation macular edema following plaque...     

Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for radiation maculopathy after plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide on patients with visually symptomatic radiation-induced maculopathy after plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma. DESIGN: In this prospective, nonrandomized, single-center case series of 31 patients with visually symptomatic radiation-induced maculopathy after plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma at the Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital of Thomas Jefferson University, triamcinolone acetonide (4 mg/1 mL) was injected through the pars plana into the vitreous cavity using sterile technique. Status of radiation maculopathy and final visual acuity were the main outcome measures. RESULTS: At the time of diagnosis of choroidal melanoma, visual acuity was 20/20 to 20/50 in 90% (n = 28), 20/60 to 20/200 in 10% (n = 3), and 20/400 or worse in none of the patients. The mean radiation dose to the foveola was 5,122 cGy (median, 3,280 cGy; range, 1,000-16,100 cGy). Radiation maculopathy developed at a mean of 22 months (median, 16 months; range, 6-96 months) after plaque radiotherapy. In all cases, the choroidal melanoma was regressed, and there was no retinal detachment or neovascularization of the retina, optic disk, or iris. At the time of diagnosis of radiation maculopathy, visual acuity was 20/20 to 20/50 in 19% (6/31), 20/60 to 20/200 in 58% (18/31), and 20/400 or worse in 23% (7/31) of patients. After intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide, visual acuity was stable or improved in 91% (20/22) of patients by 1 month and 45% (14/31) by 6 months. Mean foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography was 417 microm at injection and 207 microm at 1 month and 292 microm at 6 months after injection. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide can stabilize or improve visual acuity in some patients with radiation-induced maculopathy, but its effect might not be lasting.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab treatment for refractory diabetic macular edema

To evaluate the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on visual function and retinal thickness in patients with refractory diabetic macular edema (DME). Eyes with DME treated with IVB which were resistant to different previous treatments were enrolled in this retrospective, non-randomized series study. Each patient underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit-lamp examination, intraocular pressure measurement, fundus examination, retinal thickness measurement with optic coherence tomography at baseline and at each visit. Digital fundus fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline for each patient. A total of 71 eyes of 59 patients (36 male and 23 female) were included in the study. All eyes had focal laser photocoagulation (71 eyes, 100 %) and had one other additional treatment including an intravitreal (23 eyes, 32 %) or subtenon (18 eyes, 25 %) injection of triamcinolone acetonide. The mean follow-up period was 9.79 ± 8.6 months and the mean number of IVB treatments was 2.01 ± 1.06 (min–max, 1–4). Mean logMAR BCVA was 0.88 ± 0.4 at baseline, 0.78 ± 0.4 at 4 weeks and 0.79 ± 0.4 at the last visit (p = 0.036). The mean central foveal thickness was 515.4 ± 150.3 μm at baseline which significantly decreased to 367.01 ± 166.6 μm at 4 weeks (p = 0.0001) and 338.1 ± 159.7 μm at the last visit (p = 0.0001). Sixteen percent of the eyes did not respond to IVB treatment. IVB treatment for refractory DME seems to be effective and safe and repeated treatments are necessary for a significant portion of the cases.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To describe the short-term anatomical and visual acuity responses after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with CNV secondary to AMD who were treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) during a 3-month period. Patients underwent best-corrected Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography, and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow-up visits. RESULTS: There were 266 consecutive eyes of 266 patients who received injections, and follow-up information was available for 251 (94.4%). The mean age of the patients was 80.3 years, the mean baseline visual acuity was 20/184, and 175 (69.7%) had inadequate response to alternate methods of treatment. At the 1-month follow-up (data available for 244 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/137 (P < 0.001 as compared with baseline), and 74 (30.3%) of patients had improvement in visual acuity as defined by a halving of the visual angle. At the 2-month follow-up (data available for 222 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/122 (P < 0.001), and 78 (31.1%) of patients had visual improvement. At the 3-month follow-up (data available for 141 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/109 (P < 0.001), and 54 (38.3%) of patients had visual acuity improvement. The mean central macular thickness at baseline was 340 mum and decreased to a mean of 247 microm at month 1 (P < 0.001) and 213 microm at month 3 (P < 0.001). At 1 month, two patients had mild vitritis, as did one patient at 2 months, who had a history of recurrent uveitis. No endophthalmitis, increased intraocular pressure, retinal tear, or retinal detachment occurred. The risk for thromboembolic disorders did not seem to be different than reported previously in studies concerning macular degeneration. CONCLUSION: There were no apparent short-term safety concerns for intravitreal bevacizumab injection for CNV. Treated eyes had a significant decrease in macular thickness and improvement in visual acuity. The follow-up was too short to make any specific treatment recommendations, but the favorable short-term results suggest further study is needed.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema due to occlusive vasculitis

Systemic vasculitides can cause retinal vascular pathology, including cotton-wool spots, retinal hemorrhages, vascular occlusion, and capillary nonperfusion. Two main causes of visual decline include macular edema and retinal neovascularization. Presumably, both of these complications are caused by increased intraocular levels of vascular growth and permeability factors. We report a patient with occlusive retinal vasculitis associated with mixed connective tissue disease who was treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for chronic macular edema. One month after treatment, visual acuity improved from 20/80 to 20/60, and foveal thickness decreased from 543 microns to 306 microns. This effect persisted for at least 3 months after treatment. No complications, including increased retinal ischemia, were observed.     

Periocular triamcinolone for prevention of macular edema after iodine 125 plaque radiotherapy of uveal melanoma

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential benefit of periocular depot triamcinolone in the prevention of macular edema after iodine 125 plaque radiotherapy for uveal melanoma. METHODS: This comparative, nonrandomized, interventional study included 87 patients with uveal melanoma who underwent plaque radiotherapy. The triamcinolone group included 55 consecutive patients who were treated with 40 mg of periocular triamcinolone at the time of plaque application and 4 months and 8 months later. The comparison group comprised 32 consecutive patients treated with plaque radiotherapy without triamcinolone. Patients were evaluated at 4 months, 8 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months after plaque application with clinical examination, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The associations of clinical variables with the development of OCT-evident macular edema (the main outcome measure) were investigated using Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: By multivariate analysis, eyes treated with periocular triamcinolone had a significant reduction in the risk of radiation-induced macular edema (P = 0.002; hazard estimate = 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.17- 0.80). Adverse effects associated with periocular triamcinolone treatment included elevation of intraocular pressure (7% of cases) and blepharoptosis (5% of cases). CONCLUSIONS: Periocular triamcinolone treatment significantly lowered the risk of macular edema after plaque radiotherapy for uveal melanoma in this series but did not significantly alter the rate of vision loss at 24 months of follow-up.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab for persistent macular edema with proliferative diabetic retinopathy

To evaluate the effectiveness of an intravitreal bevacizumab injection on retinal neovascularization and diabetic macular edema (DME) refractory to laser photocoagulation therapy. Thirty-four eyes of 22 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy and DME refractory to laser photocoagulation therapy received an intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg/0.05 ml of bevazicumab. Changes in mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), regression of neovascularization over time, and correlation between BCVA and CMT were evaluated. Follow-up visits were at weeks 1, 2 and 4 and months 3 and 6. Mean BCVA was significantly better than baseline only at week 2 (P = 0.036). Mean CMT decreased significantly from baseline at weeks 1, 2, and 4 (P = 0.001). At months 3 and 6, mean CMT increased, albeit insignificantly (P = 0.804 and P = 1.0). The decrease in fluorescein leakage was moderate in all eyes at the end of week 1. At week 2, there was total resolution of fluorescein leakage in 24 (70.5%) eyes and moderate resolution in 10 (29.5%) eyes. At the end of month 3, the fluorescein leakage was fully resolved in 5 (14.7%) eyes, moderately resolved in 24 (70.5%) eyes, and was similar to baseline in 5 (14.7%) eyes. At month 6, the fluorescein leakage was fully resolved in 3 (8.8%) eyes, moderately resolved in 20 (58.8%) eyes, and was similar to baseline in 11 (32.4%) eyes. A moderate but insignificant negative correlation was found between visual acuity and CMT (P > 0.05). Persistence or recurrence of neovascular tissue after panretinal photocoagulation may be attributed to the production of vascular endothelial growth factor by the residual ischemic retina, which also results in persistent or recurrent DME despite macular grid photocoagulation.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab for previously treated choroidal neovascularization from age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To report the optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings and visual results in a series of patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and to determine if a difference in treatment effect exists between previously treated and treatment na?ve patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for CNV from AMD with visual acuity greater than or equal to 20/320 between September 2005 and February 2006 was performed. OCT data recorded included central macular thickness and the presence or absence of cystic intraretinal fluid, subretinal fluid, or pigment epithelial detachment at the time of the initial injection, at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month intervals, as well as at the end of follow-up. Visual acuity measurements were recorded using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts. Any ocular or systemic adverse events were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed to determine if OCT and visual acuity results were significant and to determine if a difference in outcomes existed between previously treated patients and treatment na?ve patients. RESULTS: Fifty-four eyes of 51 patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for CNV from AMD were identified. A total of 178 injections were performed. Mean number of days of follow-up was 138 with 91% of patients having at least 90 days of follow-up. Seventy percent of patients had undergone previous treatment for CNV. The mean number of intravitreal bevacizumab injections per eye was 3.3. Combined treatment with photodynamic therapy was provided in 20% of cases at the initial intravitreal injection. OCT data for all patients revealed an initial mean thickness of 362 mum, which was decreased at 1 week to 278 microm (P = 0.001), 235 microm at 1 month (P < 0.0001), 238 microm at 3 months (P = 0.0004), and 244 microm for the end of follow-up (P < 0.0001). Cystic retinal edema, subretinal fluid, and pigment epithelial detachment resolved in the majority of cases, but pigment epithelial detachment frequently took longer to resolve. Initial mean visual acuity was 20/125 (logMAR 0.8), and final mean visual acuity was 20/100 (logMAR 0.7) (P = 0.03). There was no difference in OCT or visual acuity outcomes (P = 0.62 and P = 0.28, respectively) between previously treated and treatment na?ve patients. There was no difference in OCT or visual acuity outcomes (P = 0.67 and P = 0.21, respectively) between patients who received combination therapy and those who received monotherapy with intravitreal bevacizumab. No systemic or ocular adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab for CNV from AMD results in a rapid decrease in OCT-measured retinal thickness in a majority of cases. Visual acuity also improved in this series, suggesting a potential corresponding visual benefit. This series suggests that previously treated and treatment na?ve patients have similar outcomes.     

Radiation complications and tumor control after plaque radiotherapy of choroidal melanoma with macular involvement.

PURPOSE: To determine the outcome of plaque radiotherapy in the treatment of macular choroidal melanoma and to identify the risk factors associated with the development of radiation complications, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. METHODS: Chart analysis of 630 consecutive patients (630 eyes) with macular choroidal melanoma managed by plaque radiotherapy between July 1976 and June 1992. RESULTS: The median largest basal tumor diameter was 10 mm, and the median tumor thickness was 4 mm. By means of Kaplan-Meier estimates, visually significant maculopathy developed at 5 years in 40% of the patients, cataract in 32%, papillopathy in 13%, and tumor recurrence in 9%. Vision decrease by 3 or more Snellen lines was found in 40% of the patients at 5 years. Sixty-nine eyes (11%) were enucleated because of radiation complications and recurrence. Twelve percent of the patients developed metastasis by 5 years and 22% by 10 years. Results of multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses showed that the significant predictors for tumor recurrence were a distance of tumor margin from the optic disk of less than 2 mm (P = .003) and retinal invasion (P = .009). The significant variables that were predictive of metastasis included tumor thickness greater than 4 mm (P = .02) and largest basal tumor diameter greater than 10 mm (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Plaque radiotherapy offers a 91% 5-year local tumor control rate for macular choroidal melanoma. Despite good local tumor control, the risk for metastasis is 12% at 5 years and 22% at 10 years. In 11% of the patients, enucleation eventually became necessary because of radiation complications and tumor recurrence.     

Intravitreal bevacizumab for macular edema from idiopathic juxtafoveal retinal telangiectasis.

To assess the potential visual benefit of intravitreal bevacizumab in a patient with idiopathic juxtafoveal retinal telangiectasis refractory to focal laser treatment, an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) was given. Within 1 week, visual acuity improved from 20/50 to 20/25 and optical coherence tomography demonstrated complete resolution of macular edema. There was no adverse effect. The macular edema recurred after 3 months, requiring a repeat injection of bevacizumab with subsequent resolution of macular edema. An intravitreal injection of bevacizumab may provide potential short-term visual benefit in patients with macular edema from idiopathic juxtafoveal retinal telangiectasis.     

玻璃体腔注射曲安奈德与Bevacizumab治疗视网膜静脉阻塞性黄斑水肿疗效比较

目的 比较玻璃体腔注射曲安奈德(TA)与抗血管内皮生长因子单克隆抗体(Bevacizumab)治疗视网膜静脉阻塞性黄斑水肿(RVOME)的临床疗效.方法 共116例眼科常规检查以及荧光素眼底血管造影(FFA)和光学相干断层扫描(OCT)检查确诊的RVOME患者的116只眼纳入观察.患者被分成两组进行玻璃体腔注射TA(4mg,0.1ml)或Bevacizumab(1.25mg,0.05ml)治疗.TA组75例,Bevacizumab组41例,两组在术前年龄、病程、最佳矫正视力(BCVA)、中心视网膜厚度(CMT)方面均无显著差异.比较治疗前和治疗后4、8、12周两组间以及各组内部的BCVA、CMT的改变.结果 视力方面,与基线比较,TA组治疗后4周(P=0.000)、8周(P=0.000)、12周(P=0.000)时均有显著提高;Bevacizumab组治疗后4周(P=0.000)、8周(p=0.000)时显著提高,12周时有所回落(P=0.074).CMT方面,与基线比较,TA组治疗后4周(P=0.000)、8周(p=0.000)、12周(P=0.004)时,均有显著降低;Bevacizumab组治疗后4周(P=0.003)、8周(P=0.000)时显著降低,12周(P=0.205)时无显著差异.两组间比较,视力在4周(P=0.985)、8周(P=0.989)、12周(P=0.306)时均无显著差异;CMT在4周(P=0.075)、8周(P=0.453)、12周(P=0.583)时均无显著差异.治疗后眼压明显升高仅见于TA组.结论 玻璃体腔注射TA或bevacizumab治疗RVOME均能明显改善视力,减轻黄斑水肿.此结果还需大样本、多中心的临床随机对照研究.