Choroidal thickness after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor in typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration – A systematic review and meta-analysis

TY - JOUR

T1 - Choroidal thickness after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor in typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration – A systematic review and meta-analysis

AU - Hoven, Erlend

AU - Michelet, John Thomas

AU - Vettore, Mario V.

AU - Lagali, Neil

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

PY - 2025/1/1

Y1 - 2025/1/1

N2 - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections have been the standard of care for the wet/neovascular variant since 2004. Currently, there are conflicting reports regarding its effect on the choroid, which supplies outer retina with oxygen and other nutrients. We synthesize available information of anti-VEGF on choroidal thickness (CT) in treatment-naïve typical neovascular AMD patients during the initial 12-week loading phase. We found 43 studies involving 1901 eyes from 1878 patients were included. Meta-analysis of 35 studies reporting CT at baseline and after 12 weeks suggested a significant decrease in CT with anti-VEGF treatment. A greater mean change with aflibercept compared to ranibizumab was found in subgroup analyses of sub-foveal CT in types 1 and 2 macular neovascularization. The long-term consequences of reduced CT in neovascular AMD remain unclear and require further targeted studies.

AB - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections have been the standard of care for the wet/neovascular variant since 2004. Currently, there are conflicting reports regarding its effect on the choroid, which supplies outer retina with oxygen and other nutrients. We synthesize available information of anti-VEGF on choroidal thickness (CT) in treatment-naïve typical neovascular AMD patients during the initial 12-week loading phase. We found 43 studies involving 1901 eyes from 1878 patients were included. Meta-analysis of 35 studies reporting CT at baseline and after 12 weeks suggested a significant decrease in CT with anti-VEGF treatment. A greater mean change with aflibercept compared to ranibizumab was found in subgroup analyses of sub-foveal CT in types 1 and 2 macular neovascularization. The long-term consequences of reduced CT in neovascular AMD remain unclear and require further targeted studies.

KW - Aflibercept

KW - Age related macular degeneration

KW - Anti vascular endothelial growth factor

KW - Bevacizumab

KW - Brolucizumab

KW - Choroid

KW - Choroidal thickness

KW - Optical coherence tomography

KW - Ranibizumab

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206477948&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.09.011

DO - 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.09.011

M3 - Review

C2 - 39374696

AN - SCOPUS:85206477948

SN - 0039-6257

VL - 70

SP - 86

EP - 95

JO - Survey of Ophthalmology

JF - Survey of Ophthalmology

IS - 1

ER -