Ganglion Cell Layer Thickness Change in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treated With Anti-VEGF Injections

Overview

Journal J Vitreoretin Dis

Publisher Sage Publications

Date 2023 Apr 3

PMID 37008665

Authors

Dimosthenis Mantopoulos

Hetal Ray

George Sanchez

Russell Pokroy

Daniel B Roth

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: This work assesses bilateral ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GCL-IPL) thickness changes in patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF).

Methods: In this single-center, retrospective, cohort study, the medical records of patients with unilateral nAMD treated with anti-VEGF were reviewed. The treated group included eyes with newly diagnosed nAMD that subsequently underwent treatment with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections. The control group was the fellow eye with dry AMD. Eyes receiving at least 10 intravitreal injections were included. Measurement of GCL-IPL thickness was performed at different time points using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography.

Results: A total of 216 eyes of 108 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age ± SD was 80.1 ± 10.7 years. Eyes in the treated group underwent a mean ± SD of 20.2 ± 7.2 injections in 21.3 ± 6.8 months. At baseline, average mean ± SD of GCL-IPL thickness was 73.71 ± 8.81 µm and 73.84 ± 8.26 µm in the treated and fellow eye, respectively ( = .795). After 10 injections the average thickness was 65.41 ± 14.08 µm and 68.77 ± 13.24 µm in the treated and fellow eye, respectively ( = .007). The absolute decrease in thickness was significantly greater in the treated eye than the fellow eye (mean ± SD, 8.31 ± 11.19 µm vs 5.07 ± 10.83 µm, respectively; = .002).

Conclusions: GCL-IPL thickness decreased significantly in the treated group more than in the control group after 10 anti-VEGF injections. The mechanism and clinical significance of this observation warrants further study.

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