Real‐world 10‐year experiences with intravitreal treatment with ranibizumab and aflibercept for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration. Issue 2 (8th July 2019) - Brynskov, Troels
Abstract: Purpose: To report 10‐year, real‐world experiences with intravitreal therapy (IVT) using vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: Retrospective single‐centre review of IVT‐log 2007–2019 with a treatment‐as‐needed regimen and ETDRS visual acuity charts. Results: The 4, 678 treatment‐naïve eyes of 3, 668 patients received a mean of 5.4 IVT in the first year and 4.0–4.3 IVT yearly thereafter. Baseline mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 57.9 (±16.4) letters (6/18) that improved a mean +2.1 (±0.2) letters at the first follow‐up visit and gradually declined to −5.0 (±2.2) letters after 10 years. At baseline, there were 29% with BCVA ≥6/12. This proportion increased to 31–37% until year 9. There were 8% with BCVA loss of ≥3 lines at the first follow‐up visit increasing to 34% after 10 years. Poorer baseline BCVA was associated with larger increase in BCVA (p < 0.0001, multiple linear regression). The 2, 566 (55%) discontinued eyes had a mean baseline BCVA of 56.9 (±16.4) letters compared with 61.5 (±15.9) letters for eyes remaining in treatment. In year 0–7, the discontinued eyes lost an additional mean 2–4 letters (last observation carried forward) but were similar thereafter. There were 12.6% (74 of 585 eligible eyes) that were still in treatment after 10 years. At baseline, 10% had bilateral nAMD. Of patients with unilateral presentation, 17% had received fellow‐eye IVT after 5 years. Conclusion: A treatment‐as‐needed regimen stabilized BCVA in active nAMD up to 10 years in most eyes. Baseline BCVA was the most important prognostic factor.