Spontaneous Regression of Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration after Termination of Anti-VEGF Injections

Introduction

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease causing decreased visual acuity or legal blindness in a significant proportion of elderly patients. AMD occurs as a dry, wet, or combined form. So far, no efficient therapy is available for dry AMD. Intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs have become the standard of care for patients with wet AMD. The following case presents the surprising observation of a spontaneous regression of wet AMD features after termination of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections.

• References

• 1 Hata M, Yamashiro K, Oishi A. et al. Retinal pigment epithelial atrophy after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections for retinal angiomatous proliferation. Retina 2017; 37: 2069-2077 doi:10.1097/IAE.0000000000001457
• 2 Gemenetzi M, Lotery AJ, Patel PJ. Risk of geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration patients treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF agents. Eye (Lond) 2017; 31: 1-9 doi:10.1038/eye.2016.208
• 3 Kim M, Kim ES, Seo KH. et al. Change of retinal pigment epithelial atrophy after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in exudative age-related macular degeneration. Indian J Ophthalmol 2016; 64: 427-433 doi:10.4103/0301-4738.187659
• 4 Enslow R, Bhuvanagiri S, Vegunta S. et al. Association of anti-VEGF injections with progression of geographic atrophy. Ophthalmol Eye Dis 2016; 8: 31-32 doi:10.4137/OED.S38863
• 5 Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trials (CATT) Research Group. Maguire MG, Martin DF, Ying GS. et al. Five-year outcomes with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: the comparison of age-related macular degeneration treatments trials. Ophthalmology 2016; 123: 1751-1761 doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.03.045
• 6 Kodjikian L, Souied EH, Mimoun G. et al. Ranibizumab versus bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: results from the GEFAL noninferiority randomized trial. Ophthalmology 2013; 120: 2300-2309 doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.06.020
• 7 Saint-Geniez M, Kurihara T, Sekiyama E. et al. An essential role for RPE-derived soluble VEGF in the maintenance of the choriocapillaris. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106: 18751-18756