EXACERBATION OF CHOROIDAL AND RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL ATROPHY AFTER ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR TREATMENT IN NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Purpose: To study the progression of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroidal atrophy in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to assess for a possible association with the number and type of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments. Methods: Patients with neovascular AMD and a minimum of 1-year follow-up were reviewed. Fellow eyes with nonneovascular AMD were used as control eyes. Retinal pigment epithelial atrophy area and choroidal thickness were determined using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Multivariable regression models were used for statistical analyses. Results: A total of 415 eyes were included in the study, with a mean follow-up of 2.2 years. Eyes with neovascular AMD had greater progression of RPE atrophy and choroidal atrophy compared with those with nonneovascular AMD (P < 0.001). Progression of RPE atrophy and choroidal atrophy was independently associated with the total number of injections of bevacizumab and ranibizumab (all P values <= 0.001). In the subgroup of 84 eyes with neovascular AMD and without RPE atrophy at baseline, only bevacizumab was associated with the progression of RPE atrophy (P = 0.003). This study likely lacked statistical power to detect an association with ranibizumab in this subgroup. Conclusion: Retinal pigment epithelial atrophy and choroidal atrophy in neovascular AMD seem to be exacerbated by anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment. Possible differences between bevacizumab and ranibizumab require further investigation.