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Optical coherence tomography angiography analysis of macular vessel density before and after anti-VEGF therapy in eyes with diabetic retinopathy

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate changes in macular vessel density following intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).

Methods

In this retrospective case series, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images from 55 eyes of 35 patients with either DME (46 eyes) or PDR (9 eyes) were included. Macular capillary vessel density at the level of the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP), deep retinal capillary plexus (DCP) and total retinal capillary plexus (TCP) before and after anti-VEGF treatment was calculated. Longitudinal changes in vessel density following serial anti-VEGF treatment were analyzed in a subset of eyes.

Results

Vessel density in the SCP, DCP or TCP was not found to be significantly different after one, two or three intravitreal injections (p > 0.05 for all time points). Subgroup analysis revealed no significant change in the DME and PDR subgroups (all p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed no effect of type of injected anti-VEGF agent or presence of previous treatment on VD measurements (all p > 0.05). There was no correlation between the anatomic response of DME to treatment and VD measurements.

Conclusions

In this study, macular vessel density remained statistically unchanged following up to three intravitreal injections of any anti-VEGF agent. This indicates that there may not be an early effect of anti-VEGF treatment on macular vessel density and its effect on macular perfusion may not be a direct change in microvascular flow.

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Acknowledgement

Authors acknowledge Nihaal Mehta, at New England Eye Center, Boston, for his effort in preparation of this manuscript.

Funding

Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF), Massachusetts Lions Clubs.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Osama A. Sorour, Almyr S. Sabrosa, A. Yasin Alibhai, Malvika Arya, Akihiro Ishibazawa, Andre J. Witkin, Caroline R. Baumal, Jay S. Duker & Nadia K. Waheed

  2. Ophthalmology Department, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

    Osama A. Sorour

  3. Institute Ophthalmology Rio de Janeiro/Hospital da Gamboa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Almyr S. Sabrosa

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan

    Akihiro Ishibazawa

Authors
  1. Osama A. Sorour
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  2. Almyr S. Sabrosa
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  3. A. Yasin Alibhai
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  4. Malvika Arya
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  5. Akihiro Ishibazawa
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  7. Caroline R. Baumal
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  8. Jay S. Duker
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  9. Nadia K. Waheed
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nadia K. Waheed.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Financial disclosure

Sorour: None, Sabrosa: None, Alibbhai: None, Arya: None, Ishibazawa: Speaker, Topcon Medical Systems, Inc., Nidek Medical Products, Inc, Witkin: None; Baumal: Consultant, Genentech, Speaker, Carl Zeiss Meditec; Duker: Consultant and Financial Support, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Optovue, Inc., Topcon Medical Systems, Inc., Novartis Pharma AG., and Roche; Waheed: Financial Support, Macula Vision Research Foundation, Topcon Medical Systems, Inc., Nidek Medical Products, Inc., and Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Consultant, Optovue, Inc., Regeneron, and Genentech.

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Sorour, O.A., Sabrosa, A.S., Yasin Alibhai, A. et al. Optical coherence tomography angiography analysis of macular vessel density before and after anti-VEGF therapy in eyes with diabetic retinopathy. Int Ophthalmol 39, 2361–2371 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01076-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01076-x

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