Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the morphological & functional changes in inner retina after periodic intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) in exudative age-related macular degeneration.
Methods :
Thirty-nine eyes of 39 treatment-naive patients were included in this prospective study. All participants received IVA bimonthly following 3 monthly loading doses. The changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), critical flicker frequency (CFF), the thickness of the retinal ganglion cell (GC) layer and the inner plexiform layer (IPL) in the macula using optical coherence tomography(Cirrus HD-OCT) at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months, and average retinal sensitivity (AS) using microperimetry(MAIA) at baseline and at 3 and 12 months were examined. The CFF thresholds and the thickness of GC+IPL or the AS were statistically compared.
Results :
Although the mean CFF threshold improved from 31.7±6.0 Hz at baseline to 36.4±5.6 Hz at 6 months (P=0.004), it had significantly decreased to 33.0±5.7 Hz at 12 months (P=0.04). There was a statistically significant correlation between CFF and GC+IPL and between GC+IPL and AS at 12 months (all P<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the rates of change in CFF and GC+IPL from 6 to 12 months (ρ=0.32, P=0.046).
Conclusions :
Morphological changes in inner retina may be related to retinal function after IVA treatment in exudative age-related macular degeneration.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.