Choroidal Thickness Changes in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy: A 12-Month Prospective Study.

Purpose: To describe 12-month changes in choroidal thickness after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for typical age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

Design: Prospective, consecutive, noninterventional, longitudinal case series.

Methods: This study included patients with typical AMD and PCV who received anti-VEGF therapy over a 12-month period. We used spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging mode to measure choroidal thickness.

Results: Of the 163 patients, 77 had typical AMD and 86 had PCV. Patients with PCV were younger (67.6 vs 72.5 years, P < .01) and received fewer anti-VEGF injections (3.9 vs 5.6, P = .02) than patients with typical AMD. Baseline subfoveal choroidal thickness was not significantly different between PCV and typical AMD eyes, and was thicker in the study eye compared to fellow eye in the typical AMD group (223.1 vs 208.8 μm, P < .01). Subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased significantly in both typical AMD (213.7 μm to 190.3 μm, P < .001) and PCV (240.8 μm to 213.4 μm, P < .01) eyes, but no significant change was noted in fellow unaffected eyes. Reduction in choroidal thickness was associated with elevated C-reactive protein (odds ratio [OR]: 1.4, P = .04) and smoking (OR: 7.6, P = .03) at baseline, but not with age, refractive error, diagnosis of typical AMD or PCV, number or type of anti-VEGF injections, PDT therapy, or baseline choroidal thickness.

Conclusions: A significant reduction in subfoveal choroidal thickness was noted after anti-VEGF therapy in typical AMD and PCV. Choroidal thickness changes were similar despite differences in number of anti-VEGF treatment.