Comparable choroidal thickness between treated eyes and untreated fellow-eyes in patients with unilateral neovascular AMD: a paired-eyes comparative study

What is known Intravitreal injection with anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) is the mainstay treatment for exudation secondary to neovascular AMD. One quarter of anti-VEGF treated neovascular AMD patients will develop signs of macular atrophy within 2 years, possibly related to anti-VEGF treatment. What this study adds A hypothesized mechanism for atrophy induction is the effect of anti-VEGF on choroidal thickness. In this cross-sectional study, we found a non-significant 11 micron difference between anti-VEGF treated eyes and non-treated eyes in long-term follow-up neovascular AMD patients. A relationship between choroidal thinning and the number of anti-VEGF injections was furthermore not shown. How this study might affect research, practice or policy There is no significant choroidal thickness difference between anti-VEGF treated and non-treated long-term follow-up neovascular AMD. We therefore suggest that atrophy induction through choroidal thinning secondary to anti-VEGF injections is of limited concern.