Retinal pigment epithelial tear following intravitreal ranibizumab injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Background: To report the development of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tear after intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Novartis, Basel, Switzerland).

Methods: Case report with presentation of the fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings.

Results: A 70-year-old man received intravitreal injections of ranibizumab for the treatment of occult choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) with fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment due to age-related macular degeneration. One day after the third intravitreal ranibizumab injection, fundus examination showed a RPE defect at the foveal region. FA and OCT confirmed the presence of RPE tear sparing the fovea. No further progression of the RPE tear was observed after withholding subsequent ranibizumab injection and his right eye visual acuity remained at 20/100 at 3 months from the last injection.

Conclusions: As with other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for CNV, RPE tear might occur after intravitreal ranibizumab injection even after previous uneventful intravitreal injections.