COMBINED THERAPY Photodynamic Therapy and Bevacizumab to Treat Myopic Neovascular Membranes. One-Year Follow-Up

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether combined customized photodynamic therapy (PDT) and bevacizumab in myopic choroidal neovascularization can improve vision and whether it is possible to decrease the frequency and number of intravitreal antiangiogenic injections. Methods: A prospective, consecutive, noncomparative, interventional case series of 36 patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization, treated with an initial dose of PDT and intravitreal bevacizumab 48 hours to 60 hours afterward. Retreatments were carried out as required with monthly bevacizumab and PDT every 3 months if there were relapses. Follow-up lasted 1 year in all cases. Results: The mean best-corrected visual acuity increased from 44 letters before the initial treatment to 59.5 letters at the 12-month follow-up (P < 0.01). Compared with initial vision, 94.5% of the eyes had the same or better vision and 5.5% lost fewer than 6 lines of vision. The mean number of PDT treatments was 1.1 per patient, and the mean number of bevacizumab injections was 1.5 per patient. Only 1 initial treatment with PDT + bevacizumab was necessary in 28 cases (77.8%). Conclusion: Combined personalized PDT + bevacizumab therapy makes it possible to obtain visual results similar to those obtained in monotherapy studies but with fewer intravitreal injections. It appears to be an interesting option for this type of patient. RETINA 31: 475-481, 2011