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Efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept in Japanese patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration

  • Clinical Investigation
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Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To clarify the efficacy of aflibercept for treating exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods

We prospectively studied 47 eyes with AMD. Forty-seven patients (mean age 72.2 years) received three consecutive monthly intravitreal aflibercept injections followed by an injection every 2 months until 12 months. The primary outcome was the 12-month visual results compared with baseline; the secondary outcomes were the prevalence of geography atrophy (GA), a dry macula at month 12, and anatomic changes on optical coherence tomography.

Results

The mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in 27 eyes with typical AMD and 20 eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) significantly (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05, respectively) improved from 0.60 to 0.32 at baseline to 0.29 and 0.21 at month 12. At month 12, 22 (81.5 %) eyes with typical AMD and 17 (85 %) eyes with PCV had dry macula. The subfoveal choroidal thicknesses in typical AMD and PCV decreased significantly (p < 0.0001 for both comparisons) from 241 ± 118 and 294 ± 76 μ at baseline to 198 ± 104 and 244 ± 84 μ at month 12. Progressing or new GA was seen in three eyes with typical AMD and one eye with PCV; the mean change in the BCVA was significantly (p = 0.0026) worse at month 12. No other complications developed.

Conclusion

Intravitreal aflibercept significantly improved VA and anatomic changes in typical AMD and PCV over 12 months. Development of GA might be a risk for declining VA.

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Conflicts of interest

M. Saito, Lecture fees (Bayer, HOYA, Novartis, Santen, Senju); M. Kano, None; K. Itagaki, None; T. Sekiryu, Grant (Bayer, Novartis).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan

    Masaaki Saito, Mariko Kano, Kanako Itagaki & Tetsuju Sekiryu

  2. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, 010-8543, Japan

    Masaaki Saito

Authors
  1. Masaaki Saito
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  2. Mariko Kano
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  3. Kanako Itagaki
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  4. Tetsuju Sekiryu
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Correspondence to Masaaki Saito.

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Saito, M., Kano, M., Itagaki, K. et al. Efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept in Japanese patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration. Jpn J Ophthalmol 61, 74–83 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-016-0478-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-016-0478-5

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