Purpose: To evaluate the retinal and choroidal thickness changes following intravitreal ranibizumab injection (IVR) for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods: Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients (average age 72.2) with newly diagnosed AMD (typical AMD 24 and PCV 4) were retrospectively examined during a 1-year follow-up. All cases first received 3 consecutive monthly injections and thereafter pro re nata (PRN) retreatment. Central retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thickness were measured before and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after initial treatment using optical coherence tomography.
Results: The average number of injections was 5.2 times. Mean central retinal thickness significantly decreased from 456 μm at baseline to 337 μm 1 month after IVR and 280 μm 1-year after initial IVR (respectively, p<0.01). Mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was 225 μm (typical AMD was 227 μm at baseline) at baseline, 225 μm 6 months after initial IVR and 220 μm 1-year after initial IVR. There was no significant difference compared to baseline (p=0.78 and 0.45).
Conclusions: Although central retinal thickness of AMD decreased even 1-year after initial IVR, subfoveal choroidal thickness remained at 6 months and 1-year after initial IVR. Subfoveal choroidal thickness of AMD is less affected by IVR in the long term.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 116: 643-649, 2012.