Treatment of peripapillary choroidal neovascular membranes with intravitreal bevacizumab.

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of intravitreal injections of bevacizumab in the treatment of peripapillary choroidal neovascular membranes. Interventional case series of patients with active peripapillary choroidal neovascular membranes. Ophthalmological examination included best-corrected visual acuity, fundus biomicroscopy, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Bevacizumab injections (1.25 mg) were repeated monthly for the first 3 months. Re-treatment was considered if there were any signs of membrane activity. Six eyes of five patients with peripapillary choroidal membranes were included in the study with a mean follow-up of 13 months (range 6 to 16). Bevacizumab was used as the initial treatment in four eyes and to manage recurrences after surgery in the other two. In five eyes, three injections of bevacizumab led to a complete resolution of leakage on fluorescein angiography and OCT. In one eye, membrane activity persisted despite six injections of bevacizumab. Visual acuity improved in five eyes with a mean improvement of four lines (range: 2-10 lines). It deteriorated only in the eye that did not respond to treatment. The results of this case series suggest that the intravitreal injection of bevacizumab may be an effective treatment for peripapillary choroidal membranes.