Choroidal Structural Changes in Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization After Treatment With Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Over 1 Year

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate choroidal structural changes in eyes with myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) treated with anti-VEGF over 12 months.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at baseline, 6, and 12 months in both eyes in patients presenting with unilateral mCNV. Choroidal vascularity index was defined as the ratio of luminal area to total choroidal area after SD-OCT images were binarized digitally.

Results: We included 20 patients (20 eyes with mCNV and 20 fellow eyes without mCNV) with mean age of 60.35 ± 10.85 years. At baseline, mean SFCT and CVI was similar between eyes with mCNV and fellow eyes (69.20 ± 63.04 μm vs. 67.10 ± 65.74 μm, P = 0.713 for SFCT and 59.44 ± 3.92% vs. 59.03 ±. 5.58%, P = 0.958 for CVI). Subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased significantly in the mCNV eyes to 54.75 ± 45.43 μm (P = 0.017) at 12 months after anti-VEGF therapy, whereas SFCT in the contralateral eyes did not change significantly. There was no significant change in CVI in mCNV eyes or contralateral eyes from baseline to 12 months. Thinning of SFCT did not influence final BCVA.

Conclusions: Thinning of subfoveal choroid without alteration in CVI was observed in eyes with mCNV treated with anti-VEGF therapy over 12 months. This finding may be explained by mechanical stretching in response to globe expansion.