scholarly journals A Case of Sustained Intraocular Pressure Elevation after Multiple Intravitreal Injection of Ranibizumab and Aflibercept for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 230-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi Matsubara ◽  
Ryohei Miyata ◽  
Maki Kobayashi ◽  
Hideyuki Tsukitome ◽  
Kengo Ikesugi ◽  
...  

Intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents are widely used to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Although these treatments are effective, multiple injections have recently been recommended to ensure that there is a good long-term prognosis. However, sustained intraocular pressure (IOP) elevations have been reported to develop after multiple injections of anti-VEGF agents. We present our findings of a case of uncontrolled and persistent IOP elevation after switching from intravitreal ranibizumab injections to intravitreal aflibercept injections. A 74-year-old Japanese man without a history of glaucoma underwent 22 ranibizumab injections for nAMD and suddenly developed an elevated IOP after the 22nd injection. Although the subsequent medical treatment led to normalization of his IOP, the subretinal fluid under the central fovea remained even after the 25th injection of ranibizumab. Thus, ranibizumab treatment was switched to bimonthly intravitreal aflibercept injections in conjunction with glaucoma medications. His IOP recovered to within the normal range; however, after the 11th aflibercept injection, there was a sudden elevation of his IOP in spite of the continued glaucoma medications. Due to this sustained IOP elevation, his aflibercept injections were suspended for 16 weeks. Because his IOP could not be normalized by a full glaucoma medication regimen, the patient underwent trabeculotomy, which resulted in a lowering of the IOP to normal levels. We conclude that patients who receive serial intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents need to be closely monitored because severe and sustained ocular hypertension can develop.

2021 ◽  
pp. 48-56
Author(s):  
Atsuta Ozaki ◽  
Hisashi Matsubara ◽  
Masahiko Sugimoto ◽  
Manami Kuze ◽  
Mineo Kondo ◽  
...  

Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) is essential for the treatment of macular diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration and macular edema. Although continued treatment is needed to maintain good vision, some patients cannot continue such injections for various reasons, including specific phobias. Here, we report a case of a patient with a specific phobia of intravitreal injections who could resume treatment after undergoing combined drug and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). A 74-year-old Japanese man diagnosed with retinal angiomatous proliferation by fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography was treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection. However, at 8 months after the first treatment, he became difficult to treat because of a phobia of injections. He was treated with photodynamic therapy, but his macular edema did not improve. After a psychiatric consultation, he was diagnosed with a specific phobia of intravitreal injections. Combined drug and CBT enabled him to resume receiving intravitreal injections. This case demonstrates that a specific phobia of intravitreal injections may benefit from combined drug and CBT. In this regard, some patients with high anxiety and fear of intravitreal injections should be referred to a psychiatrist at an early stage.


2021 ◽  
pp. 116-123
Author(s):  
Leonie F. Keidel ◽  
Benedikt Schworm ◽  
Siegfried G. Priglinger ◽  
Jakob Siedlecki

Nonresponse of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy can often be attributed to misdiagnosis, and pathologies mimicking AMD might require different therapeutic concepts. In the following, we want to outline a case of presumed nAMD which revealed to be pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) and was successfully treated by the addition of spironolactone. A 67-year-old female patient was referred for nonresponse of nAMD on her left eye after 29 intravitreal injections of aflibercept with no complete resolution of subretinal fluid. On fundoscopy, both maculae presented with pigment epithelium alterations, while the left eye showed subretinal fluid on optical coherence tomography (OCT) with an associated pigment epithelium detachment, which revealed to contain a neovascular network on OCT angiography. There was faint leakage on fluorescence (FAG) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and some focal vascular dilation of the neovascular network on ICGA. Due to the absence of Drusen on any eye, a thick choroid, and the presence of a gravitational tract on blue autofluorescence (BAF), chronic central serous chorioretinopathy with a choroidal neovascularization, defined as PNV in the pachychoroid disease was diagnosed. Upon the addition of spironolactone to anti-VEGF treatment, choroidal thickness significantly decreased, and subretinal fluid resolution was observed and maintained for the first time. In conclusion, PNV should be ruled out in cases of presumed nAMD nonresponding to anti-VEGF. In these cases, a combination therapy of anti-VEGF and mineralocorticoid antagonists can facilitate fluid resorption.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyung Tae Kim ◽  
Ju Byung Chae ◽  
Seungheon Lee ◽  
Eoi Jong Seo ◽  
Dong Yoon Kim

Abstract Background To analyze the long-term effects of persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) on visual/anatomic outcomes according to the type of macular neovascularization (MNV) during relaxed treat-and-extend regimen with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. Methods Patients with fovea-involving type 1 or type 2 MNV, treated with a relaxed treat-and-extend regimen for 2 years were retrospectively reviewed. Eyes with SRF observed more than three times per year were defined as the ‘persistent SRF (+) group’. To exclude the effects of IRF as much as possible, the eyes with persistent IRF were excluded. The effects of persistent SRF on the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield retinal thickness (CST), and changes in the photoreceptor layer (PRL) thickness and outer retinal bands (external limiting membrane, ellipsoid zone, and cone outer segment tip line) after anti-VEGF injection were analyzed for each MNV type. Results Seventy-seven eyes with type 1 MNV (44 eyes with persistent SRF) and 53 eyes with type 2 MNV (18 eyes with persistent SRF) were enrolled. Following a relaxed treat-and-extend regimen with anti-VEGF agents, BCVA and CST improved for each MNV type. In comparison between persistent SRF (+) and persistent SRF (−) group, there were no differences in the amount of change in BCVA and CST between the two groups for each MNV type during 2-year follow-up periods. In addition, there were no differences in the amount of reduction in PRL thickness and state of the outer retinal bands between the two groups for each MNV type. Conclusions Using a relaxed treat-and-extend regimen with anti-VEGF agents, persistent SRF did not have additional effects on visual and anatomic outcomes by 2 years, regardless of the MNV type.


Eye ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2249-2256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Chakravarthy ◽  
Natasha Pillai ◽  
Annie Syntosi ◽  
Lorna Barclay ◽  
Catherine Best ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/objectives To investigate the association between optical coherence tomography (OCT) markers of lesion activity and changes in visual acuity (VA) during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy of eyes diagnosed with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD); and how VA and OCT markers are considered in physicians’ decision to retreat with anti-VEGFs. Subjects/methods Retrospective, non-comparative, non-randomised cohort study involving electronic medical record data collected from 1190 patient eyes with nAMD diagnosis at two sites in the United Kingdom. Two sub-cohorts consisting of 321 and 301 eyes, respectively, were selected for analyses. Results In 321 eyes, absence of IRF or SRF at ≥2 clinic visits resulted in a gain of five ETDRS letters from baseline, compared with two letters gained in eyes with <2 clinic visits with absence of IRF (p = 0.006) or SRF (p = 0.042). Anti-VEGF treatment was administered at 421 clinic visits, and 308 visits were without treatment. Comparing treatment visits with non-treatment visits, the maximum difference in frequency of OCT markers of lesion activity were for intraretinal fluid (IRF; 24% versus 5%) and subretinal fluid (SRF; 32% versus 5%). Pigment epithelial detachment (PED) was reported in 58% of treatment visits compared with 36% in non-treatment visits. VA loss was not a consistent trigger for retreatment as it was present in 63% of injection visits and in 49% of non-injection visits. Conclusions Retreatment decision making is most strongly influenced by the presence of IRF and SRF and less by the presence of PED or VA loss.


2010 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Winfried MK Amoaku ◽  

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible visual loss in the developed world. There are two types of AMD: dry and wet. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, but is thought to result from interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Smoking, hypertension and low intake and/or low levels of serum antioxidants are known risk factors for both forms. As yet there are no treatments available for the dry form of AMD. Smoking cessation and healthy lifestyles are important in the prevention of progression of AMD. Progression of early stages of AMD to advanced forms is slowed by regular intake of ocular nutritional supplements as found in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) Study. Recently, there have been significant breakthroughs in the treatment of wet or neovascular AMD, including photodynamic therapy (PDT), intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs, including pegaptanib, ranibizumab and bevacizumab. Newer agents including aflibercept and anti-platelet-derived growth factor (anti-PDGF) compounds are under investigation. The current gold standard for treatment of wet AMD is intravitreal injections of ranibizumab. Combination therapy with PDT and anti-VEGF agents is useful especially in idiopathic polypoidal choroidopathy (IPCV) or when anti-VEGF monotherapy has failed. Rapid referral of patients with neovascular AMD is important as the visual outcome is dependent on the visual acuity at treatment. Diagnostic confirmation with retinal imaging, particularly fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherent tomography, are required before treatment commencement. The new treatments for wet AMD are repetitive, and have significant service implications. These implications occur irrespective of which anti- VEGF agent is adopted. Visual rehabilitation is still important in the management of AMD.


2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110640
Author(s):  
Ramesh Venkatesh ◽  
Nikitha G Reddy ◽  
Sameeksha Agrawal ◽  
Arpitha Pereira ◽  
Naresh Kumar Yadav ◽  
...  

Purpose To report the bacillary layer detachment on optical coherence tomography in exudative age-related macular degeneration. Methods Retrospective, observational cases Case descriptions Two cases of exudative age-related macular degeneration, one diagnosed as polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy following exudative age-related macular degeneration and other as wet age-related macular degeneration with choroidal neovascular membrane showed separation of myoid and ellipsoid zones of photoreceptor layer on optical coherence tomography. This is termed as BALAD. Other associated features noted were the presence of subretinal hyperreflective material, submacular hemorrhage and subretinal fluid. Both cases were treated with monthly intravitreal injections of Inj. Ranibizumab (0.5 mg/0.05 ml). Following 3 intravitreal injections at monthly intervals, reattachment of the bacillary layer detachment were noted in case 1 while the bacillary layer detachment persisted in case 2. Conclusion Multimodal imaging using optical coherence tomography in these cases revealed the separation of the bacillary layer following exudative age-related macular degeneration; a finding which is not routinely described in literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 251584142110228
Author(s):  
Dilan Yildiz ◽  
Akin Cakir ◽  
Burak Erden ◽  
Selim Bolukbasi ◽  
Serkan Erdenöz ◽  
...  

Objective: To compare the anatomical and functional outcomes of intensive and relaxed intravitreal aflibercept regimen in the management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Methods: The medical records of 50 eyes of 50 patients with treatment-naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration, who underwent intravitreal aflibercept therapy in the Retinal Department of University of Health Sciences Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital (Istanbul, Turkey), were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic features and best-corrected visual acuities at baseline and at 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th-, 6th-, 10th- and 12th- months, optical coherence tomography measurements, presence of intraretinal fluid, subretinal fluid and intraocular pressure values were studied. The patients were divided into two groups: intensive (subretinal fluid intolerant) and relaxed (<200 microns subretinal fluid tolerated) intravitreal aflibercept regimens. Results: The change in the mean best-corrected visual acuities from baseline to 12th month was 13.72 ± 33.97 letters in the intensive treatment group and 8.68 ± 27.22 in the relaxed group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups ( p = 0.566). Similar proportions of both groups achieved ⩾10 letters gain (%48 vs. %40, respectively; p = 0.755) and ⩾10 letters loss (%20 vs. %24, respectively; p = 0.755). The mean central subfield thickness values decreased statistically significantly in both groups ( p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups (442.40 ± 161.32 to 318.0 ± 63.10 vs. 431.64 ± 151.52 to 303.08 ± 140.91, respectively; p = 0.724). The mean total injection numbers were significantly lower in the relaxed group (6.4 ± 1.65 vs. 4.8 ± 1.45, respectively; p = 0.01). Conclusion: Relaxed intravitreal aflibercept regimen has comparable efficiency and safety outcomes at 12 months with intensive intravitreal aflibercept regimen with fewer injections in the management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.


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