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OCT shows more persistent polypoidal lesions than indocyanine green angiography
Optical coherence tomography showed more persistent lesions at 3 months after anti-VEGF injections for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy than indocyanine green angiography, according to a study.
Investigators retrospectively analyzed 51 eyes of 51 patients with treatment-naïve polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy who received intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) and were followed for more than 3 months. Mean patient age was 72.5 years.
Fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography were used to assess polypoidal lesions at baseline and 3 months after ranibizumab injections. LogMAR best corrected visual acuity and fundus images were also evaluated.
At 3 months, indocyanine green angiography showed that 26 of 75 polypoidal lesions (34%) were completely resolved, while 49 lesions (65%) remained and three new lesions developed.
OCT showed that the mean height of retinal pigment epithelium protrusions corresponding to polypoidal lesions decreased to 146 µm; the reduction was statistically significant (P = .00019). Vascular branching networks were unchanged in 45 eyes on indocyanine green angiography and OCT images, but the mean retinal pigment epithelium height at the branching vascular network decreased significantly to 58.9 µm (P < .0001).
Overall mean BCVA improved significantly, from 0.39 to 0.31 (P = .023).
Mean BCVA improved to 0.33 in 11 eyes with resolved lesions on indocyanine green angiography but persistent lesions on OCT and in 34 eyes with persistent lesions on indocyanine green angiography and OCT; both improvements were statistically insignificant.
“Residual exudative changes were associated with persistent lesions on OCT,” the study authors said.