TY - JOUR
T1 - One-Year Results of Fixed Aflibercept Treatment Regime in Type 3 Neovascularization
AU - Ernest, Jan
AU - Manethova, Katerina
AU - Kolar, Petr
AU - Sobisek, Lukas
AU - Sacconi, Riccardo
AU - Querques, Giuseppe
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 S. Karger AG, Basel. Copyright: All rights reserved.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal aflibercept injections in treatment-naive type 3 neovascularization using a fixed treatment regime during the first year of therapy. Methods: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients diagnosed with type 3 neovascularization were studied. All patients were treated with intravitreal aflibercept injections using a fixed treatment regime of 3 consecutive monthly dosages followed by 2-month interval injections. Results were assessed after a 12-month follow-up period. Changes of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), central macular volume (CMV), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy at fundus autofluorescence and infrared reflectance images were recorded and analyzed. Results: BCVA improved from 60.3 ± 11.7 ETDRS letters at the baseline to 70.9 ± 10.3 ETDRS letters at 12-months follow-up (p = 0.036). Also, CRT and CMV statistically improved after the treatment (from 425 ± 117 to 308 ± 117 μm [p = 0.031] and from 9.52 ± 1.90 to 8.29 ± 0.95 mm3 [p = 0.073], respectively). In 4 patients, development and progression of RPE atrophy were observed, and it was associated with the presence of serous pigment epithelium detachment at the baseline. Furthermore, the development of a fibrotic lesion eccentric to the fovea was observed in 5 patients, without significant impairment of BCVA (p = 0.290). Conclusion: Intravitreal aflibercept administered in a fixed treatment regime during the first year of therapy may be effective for the improvement and stabilization of BCVA in eyes with type 3 neovascularization. However, RPE atrophy and subretinal/intraretinal fibrosis can develop during the treatment.
AB - Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal aflibercept injections in treatment-naive type 3 neovascularization using a fixed treatment regime during the first year of therapy. Methods: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients diagnosed with type 3 neovascularization were studied. All patients were treated with intravitreal aflibercept injections using a fixed treatment regime of 3 consecutive monthly dosages followed by 2-month interval injections. Results were assessed after a 12-month follow-up period. Changes of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), central macular volume (CMV), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy at fundus autofluorescence and infrared reflectance images were recorded and analyzed. Results: BCVA improved from 60.3 ± 11.7 ETDRS letters at the baseline to 70.9 ± 10.3 ETDRS letters at 12-months follow-up (p = 0.036). Also, CRT and CMV statistically improved after the treatment (from 425 ± 117 to 308 ± 117 μm [p = 0.031] and from 9.52 ± 1.90 to 8.29 ± 0.95 mm3 [p = 0.073], respectively). In 4 patients, development and progression of RPE atrophy were observed, and it was associated with the presence of serous pigment epithelium detachment at the baseline. Furthermore, the development of a fibrotic lesion eccentric to the fovea was observed in 5 patients, without significant impairment of BCVA (p = 0.290). Conclusion: Intravitreal aflibercept administered in a fixed treatment regime during the first year of therapy may be effective for the improvement and stabilization of BCVA in eyes with type 3 neovascularization. However, RPE atrophy and subretinal/intraretinal fibrosis can develop during the treatment.
KW - Aflibercept
KW - Age-related macular degeneration
KW - Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor
KW - Optical coherence tomography
KW - Retinal angiomatous proliferation
KW - Type 3 neovascularization
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U2 - 10.1159/000499719
DO - 10.1159/000499719
M3 - Article
C2 - 31121590
AN - SCOPUS:85066908975
VL - 243
SP - 58
EP - 65
JO - Ophthalmologica
JF - Ophthalmologica
SN - 0030-3755
IS - 1
ER -