Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the change in retinal sensitivity (RS) during treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients with good vision with aflibercept loading regimen in a prospective, single-center, open-label, observational study.
Methods :
Treatment-naive nAMD patients with visual acuity better than 20/40 were recruited and treated with an Aflibercept loading regimen. RS was measured with the MAIA microperimetry device (Centervue, Italy). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus photography, OCT angiography (OCTA), indocyanine green angiography were also performed. Differences in RS according to visit, region, adjacent local pathology, outer retinal changes and OCTA data were investigated.
Results :
Twelve patients completed the entire protocol. Mean RS improved from 17.9 (3.9) μm at baseline to 20.4 (4.7) μm at final visit, while BCVA did not change. (P=0.041) RS at baseline is worst in the presence of intraretinal fluid (IRF). RS improved after treatment in all retinal pathologies except IRF. Although RS was influenced by outer retinal integrity, RS improved even when outer retinal structures were observed to be damaged at baseline. Macular neovascular area and retinal fluid decreased significantly. Linear mixed model showed that subretinal hyperreflective material, IRF height at baseline and outer retinal integrity, fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment height and local choroidal vascular index were associated with RS.
Conclusions :
Visual function as measured by RS improved after intravitreal Aflibercept loading injections in treatment-naive nAMD eyes with relatively better visual acuity, while BCVA did not change. RS improved at any local retinal abnormality except for IRF.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.