Table 2.
Characteristics of patients treated intravitreally during the study periods
| Characteristic | 2019 period | 2020 period (COVID-19 quarantine) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treated patients | |||
| Number of patients, n (%) | 991 (100.0%) | 457 (100.0%) | − 53.9% |
| Gender, n (%) | 469 (47.3%) males, 522 (52.7%) females | 227 (%) males, 230 (%) females | – |
| Mean age, mean ± SD | 71.1 ± 11.7 | 72.0 ± 12.7 | – |
| Performed procedures | |||
| Total number of intravitreal procedures, n (%) | 1252 (100.0%) | 583 (100.0%) | − 53.6% |
| Drug, n (%) | |||
| anti-VEGF | 1143 (91.3%)a | 551 (94.5%)d | − 51.7% |
| Corticosteroid medication | 107 (8.5%)b | 32 (5.5%)e | − 70.1% |
| Others | 2 (0.2%)c | 0 | − 100.0% |
| Main disease, n (%) | |||
| AMD | 791 (63.2%) | 392 (67.2%) | − 50.4% |
| Myopia | 51 (4.1%) | 33 (5.7%) | − 35.3% |
| Diabetes | 228 (18.2%) | 92 (15.8%) | − 59.6% |
| Retinal vein occlusion | 168 (13.4%) | 64 (11.0%) | − 61.9% |
| Posterior uveitis | 14 (1.2%) | 2 (0.3%) | − 85.7% |
aBevacizumab (n = 0), ranibizumab (n = 621), aflibercept (n = 522)
bDexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®) (n = 97), fluocinolone acetonide implant (Iluvien®) (n = 10)
cOcriplasmin (Jetrea®) (n = 1), rituximab (n = 1)
dBevacizumab (n = 385)*, ranibizumab (n = 82), aflibercept (n = 84)
eDexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®) (n = 32)
n number of patients or eyes, SD standard deviation, VEGF vascular endothelial growth factor, AMD age-related macular degeneration
*After September 2019, bevacizumab becomes the only reimbursable drug in Lombardy—i.e., where this study was conducted—for patients with neovascular AMD