Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration in treatment‐naive patients

Purpose: To report the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin^®) in treatment‐naive patients with exudative age‐related macular degeneration (ARMD) assessed by visual acuity (VA), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and contrast sensitivity. Methods: A prospective, uncontrolled, pilot study of 26 eyes of 26 patients, all previously treatment‐naive to photodynamic therapy, argon laser or anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), were treated with one or more intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg bevacizumab. Of the 26 patients, 15 (57.7%) had occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV), 6 (23.1%) had predominantly classic CNV and 5 (19.2%) had minimally classic CNV. Ophthalmic outcome measures included changes in standardized Early Treatment Diabetic Research Study (ETDRS) VA, contrast sensitivity and OCT. The patients were examined at baseline and 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the first injection. Re‐treatment was given on an ‘as needed’ basis. Results: Twenty‐four eyes of 24 patients completed 6 months of follow‐up. Two patients chose to discontinue the study. Mean ETDRS VA score improved from 55 letters at baseline to 60 letters at 1 week (P < 0.01) and to 61 letters at 6 weeks (P < 0.01). No significant improvement in VA from baseline was found after 3 and 6 months. Patients with pigment epithelial detachment (PED) had a significantly worse outcome in VA at 6 months. Contrast sensitivity improved from baseline to 3 or 6 months, but this improvement was not statistically significant. Mean macular thickness decreased significantly from baseline to all follow‐up examinations (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Mean ETDRS VA improved significantly after 1 and 6 weeks; thereafter, it remained stable throughout the study period. Macular thickness improved significantly at all time points. The results indicate that 1.25 mg intravitreal bevacizumab is associated with functional as well as morphological improvement among treatment‐naive ARMD patients.