Intravenous bevacizumab causes regression of choroidal neovascularization secondary to diseases other than age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE

To investigate the safety, tolerability, and bioactivity of intravenous infusions of bevacizumab in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) attributable to causes other than age-related macular degeneration.

DESIGN

Nonrandomized clinical trial.

METHODS

Ten patients with CNV received infusions of 5 mg/kg of bevacizumab. The primary efficacy outcome measure was change in visual acuity (VA; Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters read at 4 meters) at 24 weeks and secondary measures were changes from baseline in excess foveal thickness (center subfield thickness), area of fluorescein leakage, and area of CNV.

RESULTS

Infusions were well tolerated and there were no ocular or systemic adverse events. At baseline, median VA was 25.5 letters read at 4 meters (20/80) and median foveal thickness was 346 mum. At the primary endpoint (24 weeks), median VA was 48.5 letters (20/32), representing four lines of improvement from baseline (P = .005), median foveal thickness was 248 mum representing a 72% reduction in excess foveal thickness (P = .007). Four of nine patients had complete elimination of fluorescein leakage, three had near complete elimination (reductions of 91%, 88%, and 87%), two had modest reductions, and one had no reduction. All patients except one showed a reduction in area of CNV with a median reduction of 43%.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the small number of patients studied, the marked improvement in VA accompanied by prominent reductions in foveal thickness, fluorescein leakage, and area of CNV suggest a beneficial effect. It may be worthwhile to consider further evaluation of systemic bevacizumab in young patients with CNV.