Comparison of 1-year therapeutic effect of ranibizumab and bevacizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularization: a retrospective, multicenter, comparative study

BACKGROUND: To compare the long-term efficacy of ranibizumab versus bevacizumab for myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicenter, comparative, non-randomized study of 64 consecutive patients with myopic CNV treated with ranibizumab (22 patients) or bevacizumab (42 patients). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) on optical coherence tomography were evaluated before and after treatment. All the patients were followed for at least 12 months. RESULTS: BCVA (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution) improved from 0.63 ± 0.30 to 0.43 ± 0.27, 0.41 ± 0.37, 0.40 ± 0.39, 0.39 ± 0.43, and 0.39 ± 0.42 at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in the ranibizumab group, and from 0.67 ± 0.28 to 0.52 ± 0.31, 0.49 ± 0.31, 0.47 ± 0.31, 0.42 ± 0.32, and 0.46 ± 0.43 in the bevacizumab group (all P < 0.05 compared with baseline BCVA in each group). CFT decreased by 20.21%, 19.58%, and 22.43% from the baseline 304 ± 76 μm at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in the former group, and by 15.20%, 15.67%, and 15.56% from the baseline 297 ± 62 μm in the latter group (all P < 0.05 compared with baseline CFT in each group). BCVA improvement and CFT reduction did not statistically differ when compared at the same periods from treatment between 2 groups. Neither ocular nor systemic safety problems appeared during follow up. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a similar functional and anatomical improvement after treatment of ranibizumab and bevacizumab for myopic CNV over a 12-month follow-up period.