Efficacy and safety of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and gas versus bevacizumab and gas for subretinal haemorrhage

Purpose: To report the 12 months efficacy of initial intravitreal bevacizumab or intravitreal recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) combined with expansile gas in patients with subretinal haemorrhage caused by neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Forty-five eyes of 45 patients with subretinal haemorrhage (1-5 disc diameters) involving the fovea secondary to neovascular AMD were evaluated retrospectively consecutively. Thirty-two eyes underwent treatment with rtPA (50 μg/0.05 ml) combined with intravitreal sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). The other 13 eyes were treated with bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) and SF6. Thereafter, all patients received Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (anti-VEGF) treatment according to modified PrONTO criteria. Main outcome was change of best-corrected visual acuity (VA) at 12 months as determined by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS). Results: There was more improvement in patients initially treated with rtPA and gas (14 letters; bevacizumab and gas eight letters) and not suffering from adverse events. The incidence of vitreous haemorrhages was significantly higher in the rtPA group (nine of 32 versus one of 13, p < 0.01). In both groups, an average of 3.5 anti-VEGF injections were performed per patient during 12 months (no difference between both groups). Conclusion: Both initial treatment regimen lead to improved functional results after 1 year. However, patients, not suffering from adverse events, who underwent initial treatment with rtPA and gas showed better results. To maintain VA, controlling neovascular AMD by anti-VEGF treatment regime after initial treatment with rtPA+gas is important for all cases.