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Subfoveal choroidal thickness in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy after switching to intravitreal aflibercept injection

  • Clinical Investigation
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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the changes in subfoveal thickness after switching to intravitreal aflibercept injection for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 66 eyes of 65 PCV patients (mean age 75.7 years) which were refractory to ranibizumab. The choroidal thickness was measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) using an enhanced depth imaging technique. Intravitreal aflibercept (2 mg/0.05 ml) was administered with three consecutive monthly injections as a loading dose, followed by further injections bimonthly (every two months).

Results

The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness significantly decreased from 203 μm at baseline to 171 μm at month 6 (P < 0.0001). The mean logMAR best-corrected visual acuity levels significantly improved from 0.40 at baseline to 0.33 at 6 months (P < 0.001). The central retinal thickness significantly decreased from 249 μm at baseline to 161 μm at 6 months (P < 0.0001). At month 6, 41 (62.1 %) eyes had dry macula by OCT. Of 46 eyes with polypoidal lesions at baseline, complete regression of polypoidal lesions was achieved in 26 (56.5 %) eyes at 3 months.

Conclusions

The choroidal thickness in PCV eyes significantly decreased after switching to intravitreal aflibercept injection. Aflibercept may help prevent choroidal neovascularization near or under the retinal pigment epithelium, which might help achieve greater occlusion of polypoidal lesions compared with ranibizumab.

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Conflicts of interest

M. Saito, None; M. Kano, None; K. Itagaki, None; S. Ise, None; K. Imaizumi, None; T. Sekiryu, None.

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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, Shigeyuki Ise, Kimihiro Imaizumi & Tetsuju Sekiryu

  2. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo Akita, 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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  6. Tetsuju Sekiryu
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Correspondence to Masaaki Saito.

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Saito, M., Kano, M., Itagaki, K. et al. Subfoveal choroidal thickness in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy after switching to intravitreal aflibercept injection. Jpn J Ophthalmol 60, 35–41 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-015-0411-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-015-0411-3

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