Efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept injections for Japanese patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

• Main Authors: Arakawa A, Inoue M, Sato S, Yamane S, Kadonosono K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2017-04-01
• Series: Clinical Ophthalmology
• Subjects: aflibercept; polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy; Japanese; Early Treatment Diabetic Retnipathy Study chart
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/efficacy-of-intravitreal-aflibercept-injections-for-japanese-patients--peer-reviewed-article-OPTH

Akira Arakawa,1,2 Maiko Inoue,2 Shimpei Sato,2 Shin Yamane,2 Kazuaki Kadonosono2 1Department of Ophthalmology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama City Seibu Hospital, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept therapy in treatment-naïve Japanese patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter scores.Subjects and methods: This study was a prospective, nonrandomized, interventional exploratory clinical trial performed in an institutional setting. Patients with PCV were treated with intravitreal aflibercept 2 mg/0.05 mL every 2 months after 3 initial monthly doses, for 1 year. Visual acuity test using the ETDRS chart and indocyanine green angiography was performed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after initiating the treatment, in addition to routine examinations performed at each visit. The main outcome measure was the proportion of patients who achieved <15 ETDRS letter score loss.Results: Twenty-two patients were enrolled in this study. Nineteen (86%) patients were eligible for analysis. All the patients maintained their visual acuity (<15 ETDRS letter score loss) at 12 months. The ETDRS letter scores were 64.1 at baseline and 69.8 at 12 months (P<0.039). The polyps regressed completely in 14 (74%) patients at 12 months. Cataract progressed in 1 eye, but this progression was considered to be a senile change.Conclusions: Japanese patients with treatment-naïve PCV, who were treated with intravitreal aflibercept every 2 months after 3 initial monthly doses, exhibited a significant increase in ETDRS letter scores and a high rate of polyp resolution at 12 months. Keywords: aflibercept, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, Japanese, early treatment diabetic retinopathy study chart, polyp resolution