Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab injections for treating choroidal neovascularization associated with wet age-related macular degeneration.
Materials and Methods: This study included 105 eyes of 105 patients who received intravitreal ranibizumab injections for age-related macular degeneration between January 2009 and August 2010, and again between December 2019 and April 2022. Before treatment, color fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography were conducted for assessment. The first three injections were administered at one-month intervals. Additional injections were given if there was a decrease in visual acuity, active leakage observed in fundus fluorescein angiography, an increase in central retinal thickness of more than 100 μm, or the presence of subretinal fluid.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 68.3±6.11 years (range, 60–82 years). The average follow-up period was 14.2±1.3 months (range, 12–18 months). Patients received an average of 4.31±0.44 intravitreal ranibizumab injections (range, 3–6 injections). The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.1 LogMAR, which improved to 0.78 LogMAR postoperatively. BCVA increased (by 1–3 LogMAR) in 45 cases (42.85%), decreased (by 1–3 LogMAR) in 16 cases (15.23%), and remained unchanged in 44 cases (41.9%) at the 12-month follow-up. No cases of endophthalmitis or drug-induced systemic side effects were observed.
Conclusion: Intravitreal ranibizumab injection is a safe and effective treatment for choroidal neovascularization associated with wet age-related macular degeneration.
Key words: Age-related macular degeneration, choroidal neovascularization, ranibizumab
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