effect of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors on choroid in patients with macular choroid neovascular membrane and degenerative myopia . preliminary report

Purpose: to assess the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors on choroid in patients with myopic macular choroid neovascular membrane.
Methods: 12 eyes (12 patients) aged 19-47 years with myopia and macular choroid neovascular membrane (mCNV) were enrolled in a study group. A control group included fellow eyes with early «dry» form age-related macular degeneration. Eyes with mCNV under- went one intravitreal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor Ranibizumab 0.5 mg. Retina and choroid examination was performed with SPECtRALIS HRA+OCt (Heidelberg Engineering). Eyes were examined before treatment, in 1 month and in 3 months after treatment.
Results: Mean best corrected visual acuity in 1 moth after ranibizumab 0.5 mg injection improved from 0.37±0.18 to 0.47±0.24. In 3 months after treatment best corrected visual acuity was 0.53±0.24. Mean foveal retinal thickness before treatment was 311.4±57.2 μm; 1 month and 3 months after treatment mean foveal retinal thickness decreased to 229.1±41.8 μm and 221.8±29.3 μm, respec- tively. Mean choroid thickness in 1 moth decreased from 54.4±23.7 μm to 37.4±17.0 μm, in 3 moths mean choroid thickness was 48.9±20.1 μm. In the control group best corrected visual acuity was 0.79±0.18, mean foveal retinal thickness and mean choroid thick- ness were 187.1±10.5 μm and 93.7±24.5 μm, respectively.
Conclusion: Injection of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor allowed transient choroid thinning.