Year: 2022
Type: book
Abstract: More than 15 years ago, the results of the pivotal trials supporting the intravitreal use of ranibizumab were published [1,2].The intravitreal application of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs has subsequently revolutionized the treatment of several common retinal diseases [3].Suddenly, widespread conditions such as neovascular agerelated macular degeneration have become treatable, whereas previously, physicians could only observe and document the rapid deterioration of vision due to irreversible structural retinal damage.This important paradigm shift in treatment has been further driven by the simultaneous emergence of novel, powerful, non-invasive imaging capabilities.Indeed, the advent of anti-VEGF and optical coherence tomography (OCT) at roughly the same time has advanced retinal treatment in unprecedented ways.OCT has evolved rapidly due to incredible technological advances that have led to a dramatic increase in resolution and acquisition speed.Combined with ingenious software, this has led to the advent of OCT-Angiography, which has the potential to replace the more invasive fluorescein angiography in the not-too-distant future.In terms of intravitreal treatments, we are now at an inflection point with new treatment modalities emerging.While treatment decisions for intravitreal medications are currently limited to choosing between anti-VEGF and corticosteroids, the need for informed decision making by physicians and choosing the best drug for an individual patient will likely complicate the lives of retina specialists but, hopefully, add more value for patients.We now need to start building the tools to tailor treatment decisions for every individual patient.For this issue, we approached world-class experts in the fields of medical retina, ocular imaging, and drug development.We have assembled a collection of valuable articles that contain innovative ideas and suggestions for future individualized treatment decisions.We hope you enjoy browsing and reading the articles and that you will be inspired to contribute further and ultimately feel empowered to advance the way we treat patients.
Source: MDPI eBooks
Authors: Westenskow, Peter D., Ebneter, Andreas
Institution: F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG
Language: English
Subfield: Ophthalmology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4281764412