Abstract
Purpose:
To describe the effectiveness of intravitreal Aflibercept in pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as well as the advantages of its use in eyes previously treated with other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs (Bevacizumab, Ranibizumab).
Methods:
Prospective interventional case series (56). Patients with neovascular AMD underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including best-corrected visual acuity (EDTRS), optical coherence tomography (OCT. Carl Zeiss-Cirrus 5000) and adverse event monitoring. Patients received 2 mg intravitreal Aflibercept which included 3 initial loading doses every 6 weeks, followed by an as-needed (pro re nata (PRN)) regimen with defined retreatment criteria.
Results:
54 patients, 56 eyes, were enrolled in the study and prospectively followed up. There was a statistically significant improvement in PED (p<0.05), objectified by OCT. Mean baseline visual acuity was 0.5 LogMAR, and the mean visual acuity at last follow-up was 0.4 LogMAR. Mean central macular thickness at baseline was 370 microns and improved to a mean of 306 microns at last follow-up (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Aflibercept is effective in exudative AMD by the inhibition of choroidal neovascularization, with a longer durability when compared with other drugs. It has excellent outcomes in visual acuity while patients improve their macular morphology by recovering macular thickness and PED. Patients treat with Aflibercept require fewer injections than patients treat with other drugs, therefore the cost per patient is lower in patients treat with Aflibercept.