Decrease in Ocular Blood Flow Thirty Minutes After Intravitreal Injections of Brolucizumab and Aflibercept for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: Intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents such as brolucizumab and aflibercept are used widely to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD); however; they may theoretically affect the ocular blood flow. We investigated the short-term changes in the ocular blood flow between eyes with nAMD treated with intravitreal brolucizumab injections (IVBr) and intravitreal aflibercept injections (IVA). Methods: This study included 21 eyes of 21 Japanese patients with nAMD treated with either IVBr or IVA at Kurume University Hospital from April 2021 through June 2022. The rates of ocular blood flow at the optic nerve head (ONH mean blur rate [MBR]-vessel) and at the choroid (CHOR MBR) were analyzed before and 30 minutes after injections using laser speckle flowgraphy. Results: In the IVBr-treated group, the ONH MBR-vessel and CHOR MBR rates decreased significantly by 10.6% and 16.9% from baseline to 30 minutes after IVBr, respectively. In the IVA-treated group, ONH MBR-vessel and CHOR MBR rates decreased significantly by 9.4% and 6.1% from baseline to 30 minutes after IVA, respectively. There was no significant difference in the rates of decrease in the ONH MBR-vessel or CHOR MBR between the IVBr-treated and IVA-treated groups. Conclusion: Intravitreal injections of brolucizumab and aflibercept in eyes with nAMD cause significant decreases in ocular blood flow at the ONH and the choroid 30 minutes after injection. The rate of decrease in ocular blood flow was not significant between the eyes treated with brolucizumab and aflibercept. However, 3 of 10 eyes treated with brolucizumab but none of 11 eyes treated with aflibercept had more than a 30% decrease in the ocular blood flow at the choroid 30 minutes after injection.

Reduced Size of Telangiectatic Capillaries After Intravitreal Injection of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agents in Diabetic Macular Edema.

Purpose: Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents reduces microaneurysms in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). However, residual anti-VEGF-resistant telangiectatic capillaries (TelCaps) have been reported. In this study, we investigated changes in the size of TelCaps after intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents in DME. Patients and Methods: Indocyanine green angiography (IA) and optical coherence tomography were performed before and 3 months after the intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents (pro re nata regimen after three monthly loading doses) in 12 eyes of 12 patients (7 males and 5 females, mean age 65.2 ± 8.8 years) with DME. The number and size of TelCaps within a 6-mm diameter macular region of the edema were measured using optical coherence tomography B-scan images overlaid on IA images. Results: There were significant reductions in the number and size of TelCaps between the baseline and 3 months after anti-VEGF agent administration (P < 0.05 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The maximum corrected visual acuity (logMAR visual acuity) and the central macular thickness after anti-VEGF therapy were significantly improved (P < 0.01 and P < 0.02, respectively). The TelCaps remaining after loading three consecutive anti-VEGF agents had a significantly larger mean size at baseline than the TelCaps that resolved after the treatment (P < 0.03). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents could reduce TelCap size in patients with DME. We propose that larger-sized TelCaps detected by IA might be useful predictors of refractory DME, which could thus be principal targets of laser photocoagulation.

Visual Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Large Submacular Hemorrhages Secondary to Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

PURPOSE: Patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) may develop large submacular hemorrhages (SMHs), which may result in severe visual loss. This study was performed to determine the visual outcomes and prognostic factors of large SMHs secondary to PCV. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with PCV who developed a large SMH. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) data were collected at the SMH development, 1 month, 1 year after the SMH development, and at the final visit. Patients' medical information also were collected and included age, gender, systemic hypertension, current regular use of an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, the initial area of the SMH, breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage, ocular treatment, and fellow eye status. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the prognostic factors for the BCVA 1 year after the development of large SMHs. RESULTS: Thirty eyes of 29 patients were included in this study. The mean area of the SMHs at the development was 17.0 disc areas. The mean follow-up period after the development of SMHs was 53.5 months. The mean BCVA at the development, 1 month, and 1 year after the development, and at the final visit were 20/151, 20/263, 20/138, and 20/152, respectively. Multiple regression analyses indicated that a SMH 20 disc areas or larger was a significant negative factor, and the BCVA 1 month after the development was a significant positive factor affecting the BCVA 1 year after the development of large SMHs. CONCLUSION: The increase in the initial area of SMH was correlated inversely with the BCVA 1 year after the development of SMH. The BCVA 1 month after the development may predict the BCVA 1 year after the development of a large SMH.