Predictive factors of age-related macular degeneration with poor response to three loading doses of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor

• Published in: International ophthalmology 2024-06, Vol.44 (1), p.264, Article 264
• Main Authors: Sariyeva Ismayilov, Ayna, Duru, Yusuf, Çağlar, Tuğba, Erseven, Cansu, Ulusoy, Mahmut Oğuz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Age related diseases; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Angiography; Bevacizumab; Bevacizumab - administration & dosage; Drug dosages; Eye diseases; Female; Fluorescein Angiography - methods; Follow-Up Studies; Fundus Oculi; Growth factors; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Macula Lutea - diagnostic imaging; Macula Lutea - pathology; Macular degeneration; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Morphology; Ophthalmology; Optical Coherence Tomography; Original Paper; Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Thickness; Tomography; Tomography, Optical Coherence - methods; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - antagonists & inhibitors; Vascularization; Visual Acuity; Wet Macular Degeneration - diagnosis; Wet Macular Degeneration - drug therapy
• ISSN: 1573-2630; 0165-5701; 1573-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s10792-024-03198-3

Purpose To evaluate the predictive factors of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) with poor response to three loading doses of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB). Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed on nAMD patients three loading IVB initial treatment. The patients were divided into two groups, without residual fluid on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images (Group 1) and with residual fluid (Group 2). Demographic data, OCT findings, and morphological features of macular neovascularization (MNV) in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) were recorded. Results The study included one hundred thirty-six eyes of 120 patients (Group 1: n  = 66 eyes, Group 2: n  = 70 eyes). Central macular thickness, presence of intraretinal fluid, subretinal fluid, hyperreflective foci-band, pigment epithelial detachment (PED), and prechoroidal cleft were similar between the two groups. Pre-injection central choroidal thickness (CCT) was 214.17 ± 50.28 µm in Group 1 and 247.40 ± 60.55 µm in Group 2 ( p  = 0.021). PED width ( p  = 0.028) and PED area ( p  = 0.042) were statistically significantly higher in Group 1. When the morphology of MNV in OCTA was examined, branching ( p  = 0.736), loops ( p  = 0.442), peripheral arcade ( p  = 0.600), hypointense halo ( p  = 0.779), sea fan ( p  = 0.250), medusa ( p  = 0.255), pruned vascular tree pattern ( p  = 0.148), capillary fringe ( p  = 0.683) were similar in both groups. The presence of a closed circuit pattern was significantly higher in Group 2 ( p  = 0.028). Conclusion Initial CCT and closed circuit pattern MNV were higher in IVB-resistant cases. It was observed that PEDs with large bases and areas responded significantly better to loading therapy. The presence of a closed-circuit pattern was an independent risk factor for poor response to loading therapy. Retrospectively registered. Registration number: 2011-KAEK-25 2023/05-08.