Findings in fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography after intravitreal bevacizumab in type 2 idiopathic macular telangiectasia.

PURPOSE

To report the short-term effects of intravitreal bevacizumab in patients with type 2 idiopathic macular telangiectasia (IMT).

DESIGN

Noncomparative, interventional, retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Seven eyes of 6 patients with type 2 IMT were studied.

METHODS

Patients received 2 doses of intravitreal bevacizumab (1.5 mg) at 4-week intervals. Serial examinations included standardized Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity (VA), fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Assessments of OCT retinal thickness, angiographic characteristics, and VA were performed at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks after the initial treatment.

RESULTS

A mean increase in VA of 8 ETDRS letters at 8 weeks was found (P<0.05). Visual acuity improved by more than 15 letters in 1 patient and by 10 to 15 letters in 2 patients and remained stable (-1 to +10 letters) in another 4 patients compared with baseline. All patients showed a reduction in extension and intensity of late-stage parafoveal hyperfluorescence on fluorescein angiography. In OCT imaging, mean retinal thickness showed a reduction in the foveal and in the parafoveal zones (P<0.01). The most pronounced effect (mean decrease, 22 microm) was in the parafoveal temporal zone. No significant ocular or systemic side effects were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Short-term results indicate that inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor by intravitreal bevacizumab is associated with a decrease in retinal thickness and a reduction in angiographic leakage in type 2 IMT. Furthermore, intravitreal bevacizumab may improve VA in affected patients.