Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment of choroidal neovascularisation in patients with angioid streaks

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) as treatment for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) associated with angioid streaks Methods: A non-randomised, interventional case series conducted on eyes with subfoveal CNV associated with angioid streaks. Intravitreal bevacizumab ( 1.25 mg in 0.05 ml) was injected into nine eyes of six patients between August 2005 and December 2007. Treatment efficacy was assessed based on pre- and post-treatment visual acuity and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Results: With a mean follow-up of 19 months (range 10 to 28 months), the best corrected visual acuity improved by three or more lines in four eyes (44.4%), remained within two lines of baseline in four eyes (44.4%) and decreased by three or more lines in one eye (11.1%). Central foveal thickness (CFT) measured by OCT decreased an average of 67.7 mu m ( range +11 to -175 mu m) with an average improvement in standardised change in macular thickening of 46.6% (range -12% to +84.5%). No injection-related complications or drug-related side effects were observed. Conclusions: Intravitreal bevazicumab for the treatment of subfoveal CNV secondary to angioid streaks mildly reduced central foveal thickness with a trend toward stabilisation of visual acuity. Additional follow-up and a larger patient cohort are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of this treatment.