Retinal oxygen saturation, vessel diameter and flicker response in eyes with specific subtypes of neovascular age-related macular degeneration during aflibercept treatment

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of intravitreal aflibercept monotherapy on arterial and venous oxygen saturation, retinal vessel diameter and flicker response in patients with newly diagnosed specific subtypes of exudative maculopathy. METHODS: This prospective study included forty-four eyes of 44 patients with treatment-naïve polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV, n = 12), hemorrhagic choroidal neovascularization (hCNV, n = 12), pigment epithelium detachment (PED, n = 9) and type 3 MNV (RAP, n = 11). All patients received three initial aflibercept 2mg/0.05ml injections (Eylea(®)) in monthly intervals (loading phase) and were subsequently treated until month 12. Measurements of arterial and venous oxygen saturation, vessel diameters and flicker response were performed using the Dynamic Vessel Analyzer (DVA; IMEDOS, Jena, Germany). Statistical analysis was performed on the total population at baseline, after loading dose and at the last follow-up visit. RESULTS: The arterial oxygen saturation was 94.01±2.14% and showed no change after loading dose (93.94±2.88%, p = 0.4; estimated difference [confidence interval] -0.38 [-1.24; 0.48]) and at the last visit (95.48±1.90%; p = 0.1; -1.29 [-0.34; 2.91]). The venous oxygenation during treatment was 78.49±6.93% at baseline, 80.94±7.71% after 3-monthly injections (p = 0.7; -0.43 [-2.72; 1.86]) and 80.56±7.33% at month 12 (p = 0.5; 1.07 [-2.10; 4.24). The arterial and venous vessel diameters were 94±22μm and 131±19μm at baseline, and remained unchanged following aflibercept loading dose and at the last follow-up visit (p-value: p = 0.5; 2.30 [-5.00; 9.59] p = 0.8; 0.59 [-3.17; 4.34]). During stimulation with flicker light, arterial diameter changed by +1.24±4.93% at baseline and remained stable at month 3 (+2.70±5.95%; p = 0.5; 1.43 [-2.54; 5.41]) while the change in venous diameter during flicker stimulation was +4.52±4.45% at baseline and +4.13±3.65% after loading dose (p = 0.4, 5.18 [1.73; 8.63]). CONCLUSION: During intravitreal aflibercept treatment oxygen saturation, vessel diameter and flicker response did not change in the total population of patients with specific subtypes of exudative maculopathy.