Predictive factors of metamorphopsia after reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy with good baseline visual acuity.

This retrospective study was conducted to investigate the predictive factors associated with metamorphopsia after reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy (RFPDT) in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) with good baseline visual acuity. A total of 36 eyes of 36 consecutive patients with resolved CSC after RFPDT and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) better than 1.0 (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) 0) at baseline were examined. Metamorphopsia was measured using M-CHARTS at 12 months after RFPDT. An average of the horizontal and vertical M-CHARTS scores was applied for defining the extent of metamorphopsia. The association between M-CHARTS score at 12 months after RFPDT and clinical parameters (age, sex, duration of symptoms, BCVA, and findings of optical coherence tomography (OCT)) was investigated at baseline or 12 months after RFPDT. The M-CHARTS score at 12 months correlated significantly with duration of symptoms (P = 0.005), baseline outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness (P = 0.009), central foveal thickness (CFT) (P = 0.001) at 12 months, and ONL thickness (P = 0.001) at 12 months after RFPDT. In the multivariate analysis of baseline-related factors, thinner ONL thickness before RFPDT (P = 0.010) was significantly associated with large metamorphopsia at 12 months after RFPDT in CSC patients with good baseline BCVA. Baseline ONL thickness may be a useful predictive factor of metamorphopsia after RFPDT in CSC patients with good baseline BCVA.

Genetic factors associated with treatment response to reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

Purpose: Reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy (RFPDT) has proven effective for some patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (cCSC). Several clinicodemographic factors influencing treatment response have been identified, but associations with genetic factors have not been examined. Therefore, we investigated the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) implicated in cCSC pathogenesis with clinical outcome following RFPDT. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 87 eyes from 87 patients with cCSC who underwent RFPDT and were followed up for more than 12 months. Patients were divided into a good response group (53 patients) and a poor response group (34 patients) based on either persistence or recurrence of subretinal fluid detected with spectral domain optical coherence tomography after the first application of RFPDT. SNPs in the genes encoding age-related maculopathy susceptibility protein 2 (ARMS2, SNP rs10490924) and complement factor H (CFH, SNP rs800292) were genotyped using TaqMan technology. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the response groups except the degree of hyperfluorescence on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA; p = 0.011). The minor (T) allele frequency of ARMS2 (rs10490924) were statistically significantly lower in the good response group than in the poor response group (24.0% versus 41.0%, p = 0.021). Further, the good response frequency was statistically significantly lower in patients with at least one minor allele (GT or TT) compared to the homozygous major allele group (GG; p<0.05). The baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 12 months after RFPDT was statistically significantly better in the GG carriers than in the GT or TT carriers (p<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed less intense hyperfluorescence on ICGA, and the T allele of ARMS2 (rs10490924) was statistically significantly associated with poor response to PDT treatment (p = 0.012, p = 0.039, respectively). Conclusions: Carriers of the ARMS2 rs10490924 minor allele (GT or TT) demonstrated a higher subretinal fluid persistence or recurrence rate and poorer visual outcome following RFPDT. In addition to the ICGA findings, genotyping of ARMS2 (rs10490924) may assist in the selection of patients with cCSC most likely to benefit from RFPDT.

En face slab optical coherence tomography imaging successfully monitors progressive degenerative changes in the innermost layer of the diabetic retina.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of en face slab optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging for monitoring diabetic retinal neurodegeneration with supporting animal experimental data. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined 72 diabetic eyes over 3 years using Cirrus-HD OCT. Two-dimensional en face slab OCT images of the innermost retina were reconstructed and graded according to the ratio of dark area to total area, and relative red, green, and blue color area ratios were calculated and used as indexes for each en face slab OCT image. Values from en face OCT images were used for statistical analyses. To obtain insight into the pathogenesis of diabetic retinal neurodegeneration, we used the InsPr-Cre;Pdk1flox/flox diabetic mouse model. RESULTS: Both OCT grade and relative red color area ratio significantly increased with the advancing stage of diabetic retinopathy (p=0.018 and 0.006, respectively). After a mean follow-up period of 4.6 years, the trend was unchanged in the analyses of 42 untreated eyes (p<0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Visual acuity showed a weak but significant negative correlation with the red color ratio on en face slab OCT images, but central retinal thickness did not exhibit a clinically meaningful correlation with values obtained from en face slab OCT images. Immunohistochemical analyses of InsPr-Cre;Pdk1flox/flox diabetic mice demonstrated the loss of ganglion axon bundles and thinning of laminin without apparent retinal vascular change at the age of 20 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: En face slab OCT imaging would be a novel useful modality for the assessment of diabetic retinal neurodegeneration as it could detect subtle optical changes occurring in the innermost retina in diabetic eyes. Our animal experimental data suggest that dark areas observed on en face slab OCT images might be the impairment of the extracellular matrix as well as neurons.

Prediction of severe retinopathy of prematurity using the weight gain, insulin-like growth factor 1, and neonatal retinopathy of prematurity algorithm in a Japanese population of preterm infants.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively investigate the sensitivity and specificity of weight gain, insulin-like growth factor 1, and neonatal retinopathy of prematurity (WINROP) algorithm for the prediction of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a Japanese population of preterm infants. The WINROP algorithm is a tool based on postnatal weight gain. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: The medical records of preterm infants born between January 2011 and March 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Infants born after 33 weeks of gestation were excluded based on the indications of the WINROP algorithm. Postnatal weight was recorded weekly on the WINROP system until postmenstrual week 36. The sensitivity and specificity of the WINROP algorithm were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 278 infants were included in this study. Based on the WINROP algorithm 110 of these infants were predicted to be at low risk for developing severe ROP and 105 did not develop severe ROP. Based on the WINROP algorithm 168 infants were predicted to be at high risk for developing severe ROP　and 27 developed severe ROP. Thus, the sensitivity of the WINROP algorithm was 84.4% and the specificity 42.7%. CONCLUSION: The WINROP algorithm could be used for preterm infants (gestational age of <28 weeks) without a complicated hospital course. Modification of the algorithm will improve its sensitivity and specificity for the Japanese population.

Association of an age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 gene variant with the 12-month outcomes of intravitreal aflibercept combined with photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

PURPOSE: To determine the association of age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) gene polymorphisms with the 12-month outcomes of intravitreal aflibercept combined with photodynamic therapy (IVA+PDT) in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). STUDY DESIGN: Interventional cohort study. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 48 consecutive treatment-naïve PCV patients. The patients underwent IVA+PDT as the initial therapy and were followed up for more than 12 months under a pro re nata regimen. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs10490924 in the ARMS2 gene was genotyped using the TaqMan assay. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of IVA+PDT were compared among the 3 genotypes at rs10490924. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of the clinical cofactors on the association of rs10490924 with the visual outcome at 12 months after the first IVA+PDT. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the baseline characteristics among the 3 genotypes (n = 9, 23, and 16 for the GG, GT, and TT genotypes, respectively). All the patients, regardless of genotype, showed a significant improvement in vision, central retinal thickness, and subfoveal choroidal thickness at all time points measured after the initial IVA+PDT. The number of treatments was significantly smaller in the patients with the GG genotype than in those with the GT or the TT genotype. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the number of the T allele at rs10490924 was significantly associated with the chance of retreatment after the initial IVA+PDT. CONCLUSION: The presence of the G allele at rs10490924 in the ARMS2 gene is likely associated with a lower chance of retreatment after IVA+PDT in patients with PCV.

The 24-month outcomes of intravitreal aflibercept combined with photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

PURPOSE: This study was prospectively carried out to clarify the effectiveness of visual and anatomical outcomes under combination therapy of intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) and verteporfin photodynamic therapy (vPDT) in over 24 months. STUDY DESIGN: A single-arm prospective exploratory study. METHODS: Twenty-six eyes of 26 treatment naïve PCV patients were enrolled in this study. The primary outcome measures were the changes in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the complete polyp regression rate. The secondary outcome measures included central retinal thickness assessed by optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: The patients showed significant improvement in BCVA by 0.14 logMAR units at 12 months and 0.11 logMAR units at 24 months from baseline (both p < 0.01). The mean central retinal thickness also significantly decreased at 12 months (p < 0.001) and at 24 months (p = 0.001). Complete regression of polypoidal lesions was achieved by 15 out of 20 eyes (75%) at 12 months and 11 out of 20 eyes (55%) at 24 months. The mean treatment number was 2.9 courses of IVA and 1.5 courses of vPDT and the mean retreatment free interval after initial therapy was 12.8 months during follow up of 24 months. The complete data from all predetermined examinations were observed in 17 out of 26 enrolled patients (65%) in this study. CONCLUSION: In this study, combination therapy of IVA and vPDT yielded visual and anatomical improvements in treatment-naïve PCV patients over a 24-month follow-up period.

Long-term results of photodynamic therapy or ranibizumab for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in LAPTOP study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We previously reported that ranibizumab performed better on visual prognosis than photodynamic therapy (PDT) in a Ranibizumab (Lucentis) And Photodynamic Therapy On Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (LAPTOP) study. To determine if the first-choice treatment, either PDT or intravitreal ranibizumab, has a long-term effect in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patientsrandomised to either PDT (29 eyes) or ranibizumab (27 eyes) from July 2009 to June 2011 in LAPTOP study. Retreatment or switching to other treatments were at the investigator's discretion after release from the 2-year LAPTOP study up to 5years. We evaluated visual acuity (VA), continuity of initial treatment, percentage of dry macula achievement and macular atrophy at 5 years. RESULTS: The logarithm of minimal angle of resolution VA was 0.56 in the PDT and 0.44 in the ranibizumab groups at baseline (p=0.101) and was 0.55 and 0.28 at 5years, respectively (p<0.05). More than 70% of the patients converted to aflibercept in following years. Achievement percentages of dry macula were 74% (PDT) and 63% (ranibizumab) at 5years, and macular atrophy was detected in 78% (PDT) and 60% (ranibizumab) with a mean area of 7.7 and 3.5 mm2, respectively (p=0.155). CONCLUSIONS: The better VA in the initial ranibizumab group compared with the PDT group at 2 years was retained at the 5-year follow-up.

ARMS2 variants may predict the 3-year outcome of photodynamic therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To determine the association of age-related maculopathy susceptibility2 (ARMS2) gene polymorphisms with the 3-year outcomes of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). METHODS: The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs10490924 in the ARMS2 gene of 65 patients with wet AMD who underwent PDT was genotyped using the TaqMan assay. The clinical characteristics and the outcomes of PDT were compared among the three genotypes at rs10490924. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of the clinical cofactors on the association of rs10490924 with the visual outcome at 36 months after the first PDT. RESULTS: A significant difference was found among the genotypes in the age and the baseline lesion size. The patients with the GG genotype showed a significant improvement in vision, and the patients with the TT genotype showed a significant worsening of vision at all time points measured after the initial PDT. In the multivariate regression analysis, the number of the G allele at rs10490924 was associated with a significantly greater improvement in the baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 36 months after the first PDT. CONCLUSIONS: ARMS2 variants are likely associated with the 3-year outcomes of PDT in patients with wet AMD.

Comparison of the 12-Month Outcomes of Intravitreal Ranibizumab between Two Angiographic Subtypes of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

BACKGROUND: To compare the 12-month outcomes of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) between two angiographic subtypes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 38 treatment-naïve PCV cases. Three consecutive IVR and retreatments as needed were performed. Subsequently, the PCV cases were classified into two phenotypes (18 type 1 and 20 type 2) according to the status of branching vascular network. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was evaluated in each PCV subtype up to 12 months after the initial IVR. RESULTS: The mean BCVA was significantly improved from baseline in type 1 PCV while not in type 2 PCV. In type 2 PCV, 3 cases showed severe visual loss after 6 months from the initial IVR. The mean retreatment number was 1.9 ± 1.7 in type 1 PCV and 1.2 ± 1.3 in type 2 PCV. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of IVR may be different between two angiographic subtypes of PCV.