Focal Macular Electroretinograms after Intravitreal Injections of Bevacizumab for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), macular thickness, and focal macular electroretinograms (FMERGs) after three intravitreal injections of bevacizumab for a choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: The medical records of 18 eyes of 18 patients who had received three consecutive monthly intravitreal injections of bevacizumab were retrospectively studied. The BCVA, macular thickness determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT), and FMERGs were measured before the first injection, and 10 days after each of the intravitreal bevacizumab injections. RESULTS: The number of eyes with improvement in BCVA after the first injection was one (6%), after the second injection was four (22%), and after the third injection was five (28%). The number of eyes with reduction in macular thickness was 4 (33%), 8 (44%), and 10 (56%) after each of the three injections. The number of eyes with increase in b-wave amplitude of the FMERGs was 7 (38%), 6 (33%), and 10 (56%) after each of the three each injections. The mean macular thickness was significantly thinner after the first injection, and the mean BCVA was significantly improved after the second injection. The mean amplitude and implicit time of the b-wave of the FMERGs were significantly improved only after the third injection (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: All parameters improved but the best was after the third injection, indicating that three monthly intravitreous injections with bevacizumab may be an effective treatment regimen for AMD.