CHOROIDAL THICKNESS CHANGE AFTER INTRAVITREAL ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR TREATMENT IN RETINAL ANGIOMATOUS PROLIFERATION AND ITS RECURRENCE.

PURPOSE

To investigate choroidal thickness changes after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) and correlate choroidal thickness with disease recurrence.

METHODS

Twenty-six eyes from 21 patients with RAP were treated with 3 monthly intravitreal anti-VEGF injections and additional injections as needed. RAP was divided according to the component of pigment epithelial detachment. The subfoveal choroidal thickness and choroidal thickness under the RAP lesion were measured using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and compared between recurrence and nonrecurrence groups during the first year.

RESULTS

The subfoveal choroidal thickness and choroidal thickness under the RAP lesion showed a significant decrease during the first 3 months; however, this was not maintained for the first year. The recurrence group showed a significantly thicker subfoveal choroidal thickness (P = 0.021) and choroidal thickness under the RAP lesion (P = 0.020) during the first year in those with only drusen or drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment without serous component. A significant increase and decrease in choroidal thickness was observed during the recurrence and remission period.

CONCLUSION

Increased choroidal thickness was associated with a higher rate of recurrence after anti-VEGF treatment in RAP with only drusen or drusenoid pigment epithelial detachment. Choroidal thickness could also reflect disease activity, even before manifestation of retinal disease activity.