ASSOCIATION OF FLOW SIGNALS WITHIN POLYPS ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY WITH TREATMENT RESPONSES AFTER COMBINATION THERAPY FOR POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY

Abstract

Purpose: 

To evaluate the changes of blood circulation within the polypoidal lesions by OCT angiography in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy after combination therapy with aflibercept and photodynamic therapy.

Methods: 

A total of 46 eyes from 46 patients who underwent the combination therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were followed for more than 6 months. OCT angiography, covering an area 6 mm² × 6 mm² including the macula, were performed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months and 6 months post-treatment.

Results: 

The subretinal fluid resolved within 3 months after treatment in 44 eyes (95.7%), and 27 eyes (58.7%) showed no recurrence, with no additional treatment. Seventeen eyes (37.0%) showed recurrence, and two eyes (4.3%) showed poor response. On OCT angiography at 2 weeks after treatment, flow signals were detected in 3 of 27 eyes (11.1%) without recurrence and in 8 of 19 eyes (42.1%) with recurrence or poor responses. A detectable flow signal at 2 weeks was significantly associated with recurrence or poor response (P = 0.032).

Conclusion: 

Persistent flow signals within polyps on OCT angiography at 2 weeks after combination therapy suggest less effectiveness of the initial treatment.

In Brief

This study retrospective case series of 46 eyes who underwent combination therapy of photodynamic therapy and anti–vascular endothelial growth factor injection for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. OCT-angiography makes it possible to detect polypoidal lesions noninvasively, and flow signal in polyps could be a biomarker for early recurrence or poor response.