Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Monotherapy and Pneumatic Displacement for Submacular Hemorrhage in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Purpose: To compare visual outcomes over 6 months between intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy with or without pneumatic displacement in patients who were diagnosed with submacular hemorrhage secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).Methods: This retrospective observational study included 12 eyes that underwent pneumatic displacement followed by anti-VEGF therapy (combined treatment group) and 17 eyes that underwent anti-VEGF monotherapy (anti-VEGF monotherapy group) for submacular hemorrhage secondary to PCV and were followed for at least 6 months.The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured at diagnosis and at 1, 3, and 6 months.The BCVA at 6 months and degree of BCVA improvement during the 6 months of follow-up were compared between the 2 groups.Results: In the combined treatment group, the mean (± standard deviation) logarithm of minimal angle of resolution BCVA values at the defined periods were 1.40 ± 0.54, 1.08 ± 0.63, 0.83 ± 0.57, and 0.79 ± 0.64, respectively.In the anti-VEGF monotherapy group, the mean BCVAs were 1.48 ± 0.47, 1.31 ± 0.48, 1.13 ± 0.52, and 1.04 ± 0.67, respectively.BCVA was significantly improved in both the combined treatment group (p = 0.012) and the monotherapy group (p = 0.026).Neither the BCVA at 6 months nor the degree of improvement in the BCVA was different between the 2 treatment groups (p = 0.269 and p = 0.300, respectively).Conclusions: No notable difference in efficacy was observed between intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy with or without pneumatic displacement in treating submacular hemorrhage secondary to PCV.