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TIME TO FIRST TREATMENT

2011; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 32; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/iae.0b013e3182018df6

1539-2864

Renate Rauch, Birgit Weingessel, S. Maca, Pia Veronika Vécsei‐Marlovits,

Retinopathy of Prematurity Studies

To determine whether the time span between initial symptoms and treatment with ranibizumab in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration has an effect on visual outcome.In this retrospective study, 45 patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration were split into 3 groups depending on the duration of visual symptoms--Group I: 6 months. Best-corrected visual acuity, clinical ophthalmologic examination, and central retinal thickness as measured by optical coherence tomography were recorded at baseline and 2 months later. Fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline. Treatment consisted of 2 intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg of ranibizumab at baseline and after 4 weeks.The mean time span between initial symptoms and treatment was 59 ± 62 days. In all groups, a reduction of retinal thickness was observed. Shorter disease duration, as estimated by persistence of visual symptoms, was correlated with a better visual outcome after treatment. Patients in Group I demonstrated a significant increase in best-corrected visual acuity (P = 0.007). Patients of Group II (P = 0.095) and Group III (P = 0.271) still achieved a visual improvement in best-corrected visual acuity, albeit not significant. The mean change in best-corrected visual acuity was 0.08 ± 0.1 in all patients and was not statistically significant between groups (P = 0.87).Duration of visual symptoms <1 month before treatment is associated with a better visual outcome. Treatment of new-onset wet age-related macular degeneration should be initiated as soon as possible.