Result of intravitreal aflibercept injection for myopic choroidal neovascularization

Background The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept injections as the primary treatment for subfoveal/juxtafoveal myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) by using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was further used for some patients to detect the changes of CNV after treatment. Methods In the present study, 21 treatment-naive eyes of 21 patients with subfoveal/juxtafoveal myopic CNV received primary intravitreal aflibercept injections and were under follow-up for a minimum duration of 12 months. Among the 21 patients, 12 underwent OCTA to evaluate the changes in central foveal thickness, selected CNV area, and flow area. Results The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) pertaining to all the patients significantly improved from the baseline value of 0.7 to 0.3 logMAR after treatment for 12 months (P = 0.001). However, the improvements in the median BCVA after treatment for three and 12 months were not statistically significant in the younger group (< 50 years), compared to the older group (≥ 50 years). One aflibercept injection resolved the CNV in 47.6% (10/21) of the patients. The younger group displayed greater improvement in the median central foveal thickness, compared to the older group. OCTA revealed interlacing or disorganized pattern at the level of the outer retinal layer in 12 subjects with myopic CNV. After 3 months of treatment, both groups displayed a decrease in the size of the selected CNV area and flow area. The interlacing group displayed a trend towards better anatomical improvements. Conclusion Intravitreal aflibercept injection provides long-term improvement in visual acuity in patients with myopic CNV. Eyes with the interlacing pattern on OCTA displayed a greater decrease in size and flow after aflibercept injection. Trial registration Before data collection, written informed consent was obtained from each participant, whose identity information was protected by encryption and conversion to a non-identifiable format and removing data links. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH21-CT1–17).

Efficiency evaluation of intravitreal injections of Aflibercept in patients with various vascular and neovascular retinal diseases

Purpose. To evaluate the efficiency of Aflibercept in patients with various vas-cular and neovascular diseases of the retina. Material and methods. 43 patients (55 eyes) with various ophthalmic patholo-gies were treated: wet form of age-related macular degeneration of the retina (AMD), myopic CNV, diabetic macular edema (DME) and macular edema due to occlusion of the retinal veins. Among them, 17 (39.5%) men and 26 (60.5%) women aged 38 to 84 years (62±1.9 years). All patients underwent a compre-hensive ophthalmological examination. A total of 158 intravitreal injections (IVI) of Aflibercept were performed. The observation period was 6 months. The efficiency of treatment was assessed according to the data of visual acuity, OCT, as well as subjective feelings and changes in the area of central scotoma. Results. Visual acuity among all patients after three loading injections increased by an average of 2.8 lines. Subjective improvement in visual functions was noted in 38 (89%) patients. The greatest increase in visual functions was observed in the exudative form of wet AMD, which manifests itself mainly in the form of detachment and / or edema of the neuroepithelium. The smallest in-crease in visual acuity was observed in patients with exudative-hemorrhagic form of wet AMD with detachment of the pigmented epithelium and neuroepi-thelium, as well as in myopic CNV. Over the next three months after the course of loading injections, visual acuity increased by an average of 5-7%. The thick-ness of the retina in the fovea decreased by an average of 156.8 ± 52 µm (from 45 to 290 µm), while the greatest decrease in the thickness was observed in pa-tients with DMO and exudative form of wet AMD, manifested as detachment of neuro- and pigmented epithelium, and the least expressed was in myopic CNV. Conclusion. The use of IVV Aflibercept is effective in various vascular and ne-ovascular diseases of the retina. The highest functional result is observed in pa-tients with an exudative form of wet AMD, manifested by detachment and / or edema of the neuroepithelium. Key words: аflibercept, intravitreal injection, vascular endothelial growth fac-tor, age-related macular degeneration, macular edema.

Three-year OCT predictive factors of disease recurrence in eyes with successfully treated myopic choroidal neovascularisation

PurposeTo assess the relationship of demographics, clinical characteristics and structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings to disease recurrence in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed myopic choroidal neovascularisation (CNV)MethodsIn this retrospective, longitudinal study, a total of 64 participants (64 eyes) with successfully treated myopic CNV had obtained resolution of exudation after treatment (study baseline) and with 3 years of regular follow-ups. Several baseline OCT qualitative features and quantitative measurements were assessed at baseline and included in the analysis. Main outcome measures included incidence of disease recurrence and HR for demographics, clinical characteristics and OCT risk factors.ResultsAt month 36, 40 eyes (62.5%) developed disease recurrence (active CNV). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that final visual acuity (dependent variable) was associated with visual acuity at the first visit after complete resolution of exudation (p<0.0001), baseline size of patchy atrophy (p=0.010), baseline subfoveal choroidal thickness (p=0.008), baseline maximum CNV height and width (p=0.011 and p=0.003) and recurrence of CNV exudation (p=0.007). The following factors were associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence: size of patchy atrophy had an HR of 1.14 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.29; p=0.036); maximum CNV width had an HR of 1.02 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.04; p<0.0001).ConclusionWe identified OCT risk factors for the disease recurrence in eyes with successfully treated myopic CNV. Assuming that disease recurrence is a sight-threatening event, our findings may help in the identification of high-risk patients and eventually ameliorate their outcome.

Result of Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection for Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization

Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept injections as the primary treatment for subfoveal/juxtafoveal myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to detect the changes in shape, size, and flow area pertaining to CNV, with a minimum duration of follow-up of one year. Methods: In the present study, 21 treatment-naive eyes of 21 patients with subfoveal/juxtafoveal myopic CNV received primary intravitreal aflibercept injections and were under follow-up for a minimum duration of 12 months. Among the 21 patients, 12 underwent OCTA to evaluate the changes in central foveal thickness, selected CNV area, and flow area. Results: The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) pertaining to all the patients significantly improved from the baseline value of 0.7 to 0.3 logMAR after treatment for 12 months (P = 0.001). However, the improvements in the median BCVA after treatment for three and twelve months were not statistically significant in the younger group (< 50 years), compared to the older group (≥ 50 years). A single aflibercept injection resolved the CNV in 47.6% (10/21) of the patients. The younger group displayed greater improvement in the median central foveal thickness, compared to the older group. OCTA revealed interlacing or disorganized patterns at the level of the outer retinal layer in 12 among the 21 subjects with myopic CNV. After three months of treatment, both the groups displayed a decrease in the size of the selected CNV area and flow area. The interlacing group displayed a trend towards better anatomical improvements. Conclusion: Intravitreal aflibercept injection provides long-term improvement in visual acuity in patients with myopic CNV. A single aflibercept injection was observed to resolve myopic CNV in approximately half of the patients. The interlacing group displayed greater resolution of the selected CNV area and flow area after aflibercept injection. Trial registration: Before data collection, written informed consent was obtained from each participant, whose identity information was protected by encryption and conversion to a non-identifiable format and removing data links. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH21-CT1-17).

Anti-VEGF Therapy in Myopic CNV

In this narrative-review, we report the most recent data from the literature of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV). Myopic CNV is the most frequent sight-threatening complication of pathologic myopia. The natural course of mCNV can result in expanding macular atrophy and /or fibrosis leading to irreversible visual loss after 5 years. Retinal multimodal imaging is mandatory for early diagnosis and monitoring of the disease during treatment. Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy is recommended as the first-line treatment option for mCNV. Prompt treatment of active mCNV with intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy has been demonstrated effective in terms of visual outcome improvements reducing the occurrence of late-stage complications.

Morphologic Features of Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization in Pathologic Myopia on Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: To investigate the morphologic features and identify the risk factors of myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV).Methods: Eighty-eight eyes of 69 consecutive patients with myopic CNV were included in this study. About 109 eyes of 78 pathologic myopia patients without myopic CNV were randomly selected as the control group. Morphologic features and parameters including scleral thickness (ST), choroidal thickness (CT), posterior staphyloma height and the presence of scleral perforating vessels were obtained and measured by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for myopic CNV.Results: Patients with myopic CNV had relatively shorter axial length (P &lt; 0.001) and thicker sclera (P &lt; 0.001) compared to those without. After adjusting age, gender and axial length, thick sclera (OR = 1.333, P &lt; 0.001 per 10-μm increase) and thin choroid (OR = 0.509, P &lt; 0.001 per 10-μm increase) were associated with the presence of myopic CNV. Scleral perforating vessels were detected in the area of myopic CNV in 78.67% of the subjects.Conclusions: A relatively thicker sclera and a thinner choroid are the biological indicators for myopic CNV on SS-OCT. Scleral perforating vessels may also play a pivotal role in the formation of myopic CNV.

Retrobulbar triamcinolone for inflammatory choroidal neovascularization in pregnancy

Background Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in pregnancy has rarely been described. A differential diagnosis between inflammatory, idiopathic, and myopic CNV may be challenging. Moreover, there is no consensus on management, and therapeutic options may be further limited by patient and physician concerns about potential risk to the fetus. Herein, we report a case of inflammatory CNV during pregnancy and describe a previously unreported management approach with retrobulbar triamcinolone injections. Case presentation A 36-year-old woman presented with vision loss and metamorphopsia in her right eye while 21 weeks pregnant. She was diagnosed with an inflammatory CNV based on the following multimodal imaging findings: a type 2 lesion with the “pitchfork sign” on OCT, along with the absence of tomographic signs of myopic CNV, and the presence on autofluorescence of multiple hyper-autofluorescent spots, interpreted as focal areas of inflammation at the level of the outer retina and inner choroid. The patient refused oral corticosteroids and any intravitreal injection therapies. Therefore, she was treated with two trans-Tenon’s retrobulbar injections of triamcinolone acetonide after explaining the procedure and acquiring consent. The treatment resulted in a regression of inflammatory signs and a reduction of neovascular activity. No adverse events occurred for the mother or the baby, neither during the pregnancy nor after delivery. Conclusion Inflammatory CNV may be rarely associated with pregnancy. The correct diagnosis is crucial to allow the consideration of all possible management options. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of treatment with retrobulbar triamcinolone injections. This may represent a suitable therapeutic option in the absence of any other therapeutic approaches.

Pilot study of ziv-aflibercept in myopic choroidal neovascularisation patients

Background Myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the most common sight-threatening complication associated with high myopia. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the intravitreal injection of ziv-aflibercept in patients with myopic CNV. Methods This prospective interventional study was conducted on 20 eyes of 20 patients with active myopic CNV. Twelve patients were 40 years or older. This study was performed in the Ophthalmology Department of Tanta University Eye Hospital, Tanta University, Egypt. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was performed for all patients at baseline and monthly after injection during the 6-month follow up period. The main outcome measures were changes in BCVA and CMT. The exploratory outcome measures were CNV size, IOP and the number of injections needed in each age group during the study period. Results Patients with myopic CNV younger than 40 years needed fewer injections (2.00 ± 0.76) than patients older than 40 years (2.50 ± 1.00), with no statistical significance detected between the two groups (p-value 0.246). CNV was smaller in the younger age group (p-value 0.209), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved significantly in the younger and older age groups (p-values 0.001 and 0.028, respectively), and central macular thickness (CMT) decreased significantly after 6 months, from 242.88 ± 23.83 μm to 191.13 ± 13.83 μm in the younger age group and from 251.33 ± 26.60 μm to 197.08 ± 17.64 μm in the older age group (p = 0.001). No significant correlation was found between the final BCVA and either the spherical equivalent or central macular thickness after 6 months, with p-values of 0.135 and 0.145, respectively. No significant changes in IOP were detected in either group after the intravitreal injection. Conclusion Ziv-aflibercept is a highly effective and safe drug in cases of active myopic CNV; however, a larger number of patients and a longer follow-up period are needed to confirm our results. This study was retrospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT04290195) on 26-2-2020.

Rapid and spontaneous resolution of hemorrhagic macular hole retinal detachment and subretinal hemorrhages in an eye with pathologic myopia: a case report

Background To report a rare case of pathologic myopia in which a choroidal neovascularization (CNV) induced a hemorrhagic macular hole retinal detachment (MHRD), and then both the CNV and MHRD disappeared simultaneously in 5 days. Case presentation A 76-year-old man with pathologic myopia complained of distorted vision in his left eye of 1-week duration. The visual acuity in the left eye was 20/20 and the axial length was 31.0 mm. Ophthalmoscopic examinations of the left eye showed many retinal hemorrhages and whitish lesions on a background of severe diffuse myopic atrophy. Swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) showed multiple hyperreflective vertical finger-like projections extending into the outer retina that corresponded to the area of the botryoidal-shaped retinal hemorrhages. The SS-OCT images also showed many subretinal infiltrations adjacent to linear retinal hemorrhages with a disruption of the adjacent ellipsoid zone of the photoreceptors. Fluorescein angiography (FA) showed early hyperfluorescence and late leakages corresponding to the areas of the hemorrhages or adjacent to the linear retinal hemorrhages. These results suggested that the development of the inflammatory CNV was related to the outer retinopathy or choroiditis as in eyes with punctate inner choroidopathy or multifocal choroiditis rather than myopic CNV. We planned an intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection but the patient noticed a sudden reduction of the visual acuity a few days before the anti-VEGF injection. The left fundus showed a MHRD due to the subretinal hemorrhage. Five days later, the SS-OCT images confirmed a recession of the CNV and a resolution of the MHRD. Conclusions Rapid and spontaneous resolution of both myopic CNV and hemorrhagic MHRD suggest that there may have been a mutual mechanism causing the MHRD and CNV. A careful follow-up before doing surgery may be a choice for hemorrhagic MHRD in eyes with pathologic myopia.

Optical Coherent Tomography-Angiography in the Research of Myopia Complicated by Choroidal Neovascularization

Purpose: to determine the features of myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) using optical coherent tomography-angiography (OCTA) in patients with complicated myopia during anti-VEGF therapy.Patients and methods. A prospective study of 25 people (40 eyes) with complicated myopia was carried out, which consisted in a comparative analysis of the qualitative and quantitative OCTA characteristics of 29 eyes with myopic CNV and 11 paired intact eyes. OCTA was used in the Angio Retina and Angio Analytics modes based on automatic software. The phenotypic features of CNV before treatment, during anti-VEGF therapy (Ranibizumab) and at the end of the observation period were taken into account.Results. The average follow-up period is 26.12 (12.36; 35.02) months. Two mCNV phenotypes were established: glomerular (44.83 %) and flat (55.17 %) as regularized (18.75 %) and tangled (81.25 %) vascular network patterns. Hypointensive peripheral halo during the entire period of the neovascular complex activity was visualized regardless of the phenotype. Significant differences in the flat phenotype were revealed: neuroepithelial detachment (87.50 %) was more common, the Select Area and Flow Area of the neovascular complex was significantly greater both before treatment and at the end of the observation period, the mCNV course of continued growth after injection of anti-VEGF did not occur, recurrence rate is much higher. The area and perimeter of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) in the eyes with mCNV increased significantly by the end of the observation. The acirculatory index (AI) was determined to be significantly higher, and the Retinal capillary flow density in the fovea region 300 μm wide around the FAZ (FD) was lower in the eyes with mCNV compared to the control group. The nonactive neovascular complex were characterized by depletion of the vascular network with a predominance of intervascular space, vessels in the form of a residual skeleton, blindly end, dim, small capillaries and end loops are missing. Halo with nonactive CNV is not found.Conclusion. OCTA identifies the features of the course of myopic CNV depending on the phenotype, allows to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-VEGF therapy and the degree of progression of degenerative changes in the macular region.