Efficacy of treat-and-extend regimen with aflibercept for pachychoroid neovasculopathy and Type 1 neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept therapy using a treat-and-extend regimen on treatment-naïve pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) and Type 1 neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS:

We retrospectively studied 42 eyes with PNV and 60 eyes with Type 1 neovascular AMD. We assessed best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), central choroidal thickness (CCT), and total number of injections over 2 years.

RESULTS:

The BCVA and CMT improvements during the 2-year treatment period did not differ significantly between PNV and AMD; however, CCT decreased significantly in PNV than in AMD (P<0.05). Management of PNV required significantly fewer injections than AMD during the 2-year period (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in BCVA, CMT and CCT changes between PNV with and without polypoidal lesions (28 vs. 14 eyes) during the 2 year period. Significantly fewer injections were needed for PNV with polypoidal lesions than for PNV without (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in BCVA, CMT and CCT changes, or in the number of injections during the 2-year treatment period, between AMD with and without polypoidal lesions (30 vs. 30 eyes).

CONCLUSION:

Treat-and-extend regimen of intravitreal aflibercept injection may be equally effective in terms of improvement of BCVA and exudative changes both in eyes with PNV and those with Type 1 neovascular AMD requiring fewer injections for the former. Among eyes with PNV, those with polypoidal lesions needed fewer injections than those without polypoidal lesions.

• Authors: Hidetaka Matsumoto, Takashi Hiroe, Masahiro Morimoto, Kensuke Mimura, Arisa Ito, Hideo Akiyama
• Journal: Japanese journal of ophthalmology (Jpn J Ophthalmol) Vol. 62 Issue 2 Pg. 144-150 (Mar 2018) ISSN: 1613-2246 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 29411171 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

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

Topics

• Aged
• Choroid (blood supply, diagnostic imaging)
• Choroidal Neovascularization (diagnosis, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Female
• Fluorescein Angiography
• Follow-Up Studies
• Fundus Oculi
• Humans
• Intravitreal Injections
• Macula Lutea (pathology)
• Macular Degeneration (diagnosis, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Male
• Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (administration & dosage, antagonists & inhibitors)
• Recombinant Fusion Proteins (administration & dosage)
• Retrospective Studies
• Time Factors
• Tomography, Optical Coherence
• Treatment Outcome
• Visual Acuity