Purpose: To assess the effect of intravitreal aflibercept on pigment epithelial detachment (PED) secondary to occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in treatment-naive patients.
Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of thirty-six patients (thirty-eight eyes) with mean age 77 (SD ± 7), who were treated with aflibercept 2.0 mg (Eylea, Bayer) at the Department of Ophthalmology of 1st Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University and the Military University Hospital Prague. All patients were treated in fixed regimen, which means 3 loading doases 1 month apart, followed by further
2-monthly doses over total 12-month period. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was evaluated on Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) charts. Diameters as PED height, width and central retinal thickness (CRT) were assesed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. All previously mentioned were analyzed et the baseline and than at every visit. Therapy complications were also evaluated.
Results: Borderline significant improvement in the mean of BCVA score of 3.2 letters (SD ± 11.6, p = 0.05) at the end of follow-up period was observed. Mean PED height at 12 months significantly decreased by 140 µm (SD ± 238, p < 0.01). Reductions in PED height were correlated with reductions in central macular thickness (R = 0.94, p < 0.001) simultaneously with PED width (R = 0.45, p < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between PED height decrease and visual acuity. PED rupture was observed in 3 eyes (8 %).
Conclusion: Aflibercept intravitreal therapy in fixed regimen in patients with PED secondary to occult CNV shows great anatomical effect. However, correlation between PED diameters and visual acuity was not observed.