PREDICTORS OF ONE-YEAR VISUAL OUTCOMES AFTER ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR TREATMENT FOR NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Purpose: To determine predictors of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) outcomes 1 year after ranibizumab or bevacizumab treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration, within the French Study Group Avastin versus Lucentis for neovascular agerelated macular degeneration (GEFAL). Methods: Patients aged >= 50 years presenting subfoveal neovascular age-related macular degeneration were randomized to receive ranibizumab or bevacizumab (3 monthly intravitreal injections followed by an as-needed regimen). The main outcome measures were BCVA and its change from baseline at 1 year. Variables with a P value,0.20 in the univariate model and/or which were clinically relevant were included in the multivariate analysis. Results: The following baseline factors were associated with a lower BCVA score at 1 year and with less improvement in BCVA (multivariate analysis): intraretinal fluid, thickness of central subfield macular <= 277 mu m, predominantly classic choroidal neovascularization, and total area of choroidal neovascularization (all P <= 0.01). Pigment epithelium detachment and high baseline BCVA were associated with less improvement in BCVA (P = 0.03, P = 0.05, respectively). Patients who met retreatment criteria but did not receive the corresponding injection had significantly poorer outcomes (only tested in the univariate analysis). Conclusion: This study confirms the predictors of BCVA score at 1 year posttreatment; the presence of intraretinal fluid was associated with a poor prognosis.