Characteristics and response of subretinal hyperreflective material to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor in myopic choroidal neovascularization

Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 3;13(1):5431. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-32417-7.

Abstract

This retrospective study evaluated the characteristics and response of subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in eyes with myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The visual acuity (VA) was assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiating anti-VEGF treatment in 116 patients (119 eyes) with SHRM and myopic CNV. Multimodal imaging, including color fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), were performed. We compared type 2 neovascularization (NV) (n = 64), subretinal hyperreflective exudation (SHE) (n = 37), NV with hemorrhage (n = 15), and fibrosis (n = 3). The type 2 NV group, and NV with hemorrhage groups showed significant VA improvement after 12 months of treatment (p < 0.05 in both groups); the SHE group failed to show improvement (p = 0.366). All groups showed a significant reduction in central foveal thickness after 12 months of treatment (all p < 0.05). The SHE group had a significantly higher incidence of interrupted ellipsoid zone than the other groups (p < 0.05). Myopic CNV can present as SHRM on OCT-A. Visual prognoses vary in different SHRM types. OCT-A and FA may help predict the outcomes of different subtypes of myopic CNV. SHE is predictive of outer retinal layer atrophy in patients with various SHRM types.

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • China
  • Choroidal Neovascularization* / diagnostic imaging
  • Choroidal Neovascularization* / drug therapy
  • Choroidal Neovascularization* / etiology
  • Ethnicity
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Humans
  • Intravitreal Injections
  • Ranibizumab* / therapeutic use
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Ranibizumab
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors