AIM: To observe the efficacy and safety of intravitreal injection of Ranibizumab with transpupillary thermotherapy(TTT)in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration(AMD).

METHODS: Totally 160 wet age-related macular degeneration patients(160 eyes )were selected, which have been diagnosed through history, clinical symptoms and fundus angiography(FFA/ICGA)as well as optical coherence tomography(OCT)and other auxiliary examinations in our hospital. All these patients were randomly divided into the combined group and the control group. Combined group was given a single intravitreal injection Ranibizumab and applied the TTT treatment after seven days, while the control group only received the TTT treatment and was being monitored for 1y. The patients' best corrected visual acuity, fundus angiography(FFA/ICGA)and OCT examination were observed after 1wk, 1mo, 6mo and 1y of the treatment, respectively.

RESULTS: By the end of the observation period, there were 34 cases(42.50%)out of the combined group whose the best corrected visual acuity have improved, while 16 cases from the control group(20.00%)whose best corrected visual acuity have improved. The difference between the two groups showed statistically significance(P<0.05). More specifically, the fluorescent penetrant rates are(88.75%, 62.50%),(91.25%, 65.00%),(86.25%, 61.25%),(78.75%, 51.25%), respectively, in both groups after 1wk, 1mo, 6mo and 1y treatment, and also the corresponding central macular thickness(CMT)were(347.43±36.96)μm and(423.58±29.03)μm,(287.78±34.16)μm and(387.14±32.98)μm,(301.75±37.21)μm and(415.40±31.38)μm,(326.17±27.39)μm and(436.44±35.49)μm. In a nutshell, the difference between the two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Intravitreal injection of Ranibizumab with TTT treatment applied among patients with wet age-related macular degeneration(AMD)could improve patients' vision, stop or reduce the leakage of the lesion, as well as promote the absorption of macular hemorrhage, edema and exudation, which could be considered as a safe, reliable and effective clinical treatment.