Background
Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)-rips in age-related macular degeneration (AMD)-associated pigment epithelial detachment (PED)
occur in the natural course of the disease but also after therapy (e.g. laser photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy), possibly
triggered by the specific therapy. We report here on four patients that received intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) for AMD-associated
vascularised PED and developed RPE-rips during the follow-up.
Methods
The case reports of four consecutive patients that developed RPE-rips after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab at 1 mg/0.1 ml
were reviewed.
Results
The RPE-rips occurred in all patients between 1 week and 1 month following intravitreal injection. Two of the four patients
improved in vision despite the rip, but 3 months after the initial intervention, three patients suffered deterioration in
visual acuity and had to be re-injected.
Conclusion
Improvement in visual acuity may occur following intravitreal bevacizumab despite RPE-rips, but the patients need close follow-up
and eventual re-treatment in the case of deterioration.
Keywords Age-related macular degeneration - Avastin - Bevacizumab - Pigment epithelial detachment
None of the authors has a propietary interest in the presented cases.