The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive factors for visual and anatomical outcomes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB). A total of 113 patients with neovascular AMD received IVB treatment. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT) and total macular volume (TMV) were assessed before the injection, and at 1, 2, 3 and 9 months after surgery. Changes in BCVA and these optical coherence tomography (OCT) outcomes from baseline were compared, and independent predictors were evaluated by logistic regression models. During the treatment, logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) significantly decreased from 1.12 to 0.83, and reductions in OCT parameters were earlier and larger. Baseline BCVA was associated with the changes in BCVA and CRT, whereas baseline OCT features significantly affected their own changes. Larger baseline logMAR and OCT features were more likely to experience a greater proportion of ≥50 µm reduction in CRT (P<0.05). The BCVA decreases were positively associated with the reductions in CRT (r=0.34, P<0.01) and TMV (r=0.41, P<0.01). Among patients with neovascular AMD, IVB resulted in earlier significant decreases in TMV and CRT, suggesting that these OCT anatomical outcomes may be considered as more sensitive responders to evaluate the treatment effects of bevacizumab.
Keywords: bevacizumab; neovascular age-related macular degeneration; optical coherence tomography; predictors; visual performance.