Photoreceptor status after antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy in exudative age-related macular degeneration

AIMS: To evaluate the photoreceptor layer status after antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). DESIGN: Prospective, consecutive case series. METHODS: Twenty-three eyes of 22 patients with CNV secondary to AMD with foveal thickness less than 250 microm after treatment with anti-VEGF therapy and no obvious leakage on time domain OCT, and eight healthy subjects as controls, were imaged with at least one of four different SD-OCT devices. The inner and outer segment (IS/OS) photoreceptor layers were graded, and correlated with various characteristics including visual acuity. RESULTS: The IS/OS layer was detected in eight eyes (35%) of patients with AMD and all eyes (100%) of the healthy control subjects (p = 0.002). Eyes in patients with AMD with preserved IS/OS had a significantly better BCVA and mean change in BCVA, and were more likely not to have had previous laser treatment compared with eyes with absent IS/OS. CONCLUSIONS: SD-OCT is a useful tool to visualise IS/OS status. IS/OS is often absent in patients who have received treatment with anti-VEGF therapy for CNV due to AMD. The IS/OS status after anti-VEFG therapy correlates with BCVA and mean change in vision.