MACULAR ATROPHY AND MACULAR MORPHOLOGY IN AFLIBERCEPT-TREATED NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To investigate the incidence and predictors of macular atrophy during treatment with aflibercept for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Japanese patients.

METHODS:

This study included patients with treatment-naive subfoveal neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated from December 2012 through January 2015. Patients were treated with bi-monthly aflibercept injections after 3 monthly loading injections for the first year. Diagnosis of retinal pigment epithelial atrophy was made based on color fundus photography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence. Baseline characteristics and morphological features were analyzed for their association with the development of macular atrophy.

RESULTS:

This study included 123 eyes that had no baseline macular atrophy and treated with aflibercept injections for 12 months. Thirteen eyes (10.6%) developed new macular atrophy at 12 months. Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of intraretinal fluid and thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness at baseline were associated with the development of macular atrophy after aflibercept treatment.

CONCLUSION:

Macular atrophy developed in about 10% of eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration during 12 months of treatment with a fixed regimen of aflibercept. Intraretinal fluid and subfoveal choroidal thickness seem to be predictors for development of macular atrophy after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.

• Authors: Yoshimasa Kuroda, Kenji Yamashiro, Sotaro Ooto, Hiroshi Tamura, Akio Oishi, Hideo Nakanishi, Manabu Miyata, Masayuki Hata, Ayako Takahashi, Tomotaka Wakazono, Nagahisa Yoshimura, Akitaka Tsujikawa
• Journal: Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.) (Retina) Vol. 38 Issue 9 Pg. 1743-1750 (09 2018) ISSN: 1539-2864 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28691937 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Recombinant Fusion Proteins
• aflibercept
• Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Topics

• Aged
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Fluorescein Angiography (methods)
• Follow-Up Studies
• Fundus Oculi
• Humans
• Intravitreal Injections
• Macula Lutea (drug effects, pathology)
• Male
• Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (administration & dosage)
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins (administration & dosage)
• Retrospective Studies
• Time Factors
• Tomography, Optical Coherence (methods)
• Treatment Outcome
• Wet Macular Degeneration (diagnosis, drug therapy, physiopathology)