Enlargement rate of geographic atrophy before and after secondary CNV conversion with associated anti-VEGF treatment

Siedlecki, Jakob; Koch, Caroline; Schworm, Benedikt; Liegl, Raffael; Kreutzer, Thomas; Kortuem, Karsten U.; Schumann, Ricarda; Priglinger, Siegfried G. and Wolf, Armin (2021): Enlargement rate of geographic atrophy before and after secondary CNV conversion with associated anti-VEGF treatment. In: BMC Ophthalmology, Vol. 21, No. 1, 4

Abstract

BackgroundTo study the enlargement rate of primary geographic atrophy (GA) before and after diagnosis of a secondary choroidal neovascularization (CNV) treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.MethodsFive hundred twenty-two consecutive eyes with primary GA were screened for the development of a complicating secondary CNV. Geographic atrophy was measured on blue autofluorescence (BAF) by two readers and calculated into mean growth rate before and after CNV diagnosis.ResultsTen eyes of six patients were included in the study (six study eyes with GA complicated by CNV, four GA only partner eyes). Follow-up was 1.420.48years before and 3.64 +/- 2.73years after CNV. There was no significant difference between mean growth rate before and after CNV (1.58 +/- 0.99 vs. 1.39 +/- 0.65mm(2)/year;p =0.44) or between study and partner eyes (p =0.86). Over a mean time of 3.64 +/- 2.73years, a mean of 8.3 +/- 2.8 anti-VEGF injections were given. No correlation between the amount of anti-VEGF injections and change in growth rate could be observed (r=0.58;p =0.23).Conclusion In this pilot study, primary GA enlargement did not seem to be influenced by a secondary CNV. No association between the intensity of anti-VEGF treatment and changes in atrophy enlargement rates were found. Further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• Language: English