ASSESSMENT AND ROLE OF ARTERY–VEIN COMPLEX IN MYOPIC CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY

PURPOSE: To analyze the presence of an artery–vein complex (AVC) underneath myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) and to determine its relationship with neovascular activity. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 681 eyes from 362 patients with high myopia defined by an axial length of >26 mm using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography imaging. Patients with clinical diagnosis of mCNV and good quality OCT angiography images were then selected. An AVC was defined by the identification of both perforating scleral vessels and dilated choroidal veins under or in contact with the mCNV in the same case. Swept source OCT (SS-OCT) and SS-OCT angiography images (TRITON; Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) were reviewed to detect AVC in the mCNV area. RESULTS: Fifty eyes of 49 highly myopic patients with mCNV were analyzed. Eyes with AVC were statistically older (69.95 ± 13.53 vs. 60.83 ± 10.47 years old; P < 0.01), needed less intravitreal injections/year along the follow-up period (0.80 ± 0.62 vs. 1.92 ± 0.17; P < 0.01), and showed less relapses/year (0.58 ± 0.75 vs. 0.46 ± 0.42; P < 0.05) when compared with eyes without AVC. Moreover, eyes with AVC were less likely to relapse during the first year from mCNV activation (n = 5/14 vs. n = 14/16; P < 0.01; P < 0.01). No significant differences were found regarding either axial length (30.55 ± 2.31 vs. 29.65 ± 2.24, P > 0.05) or best-corrected visual acuity (0.4 ± 0.5 vs. 0.4 ± 0.5 Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (logMAR), P > 0.05) between groups. CONCLUSION: AVC complex has an influence over myopic choroidal neovascularization activity resulting in less aggressive neovascular lesions than those with perforating scleral vessels only.