title: Treatment outcomes in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy with poor baseline visual acuity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate treatment outcomes of intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) that exhibited poor baseline visual acuity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective, observational study included 47 eyes with treatment-naïve PCV with baseline visual acuity of 20/200 or worse treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF. Eyes were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of submacular hemorrhage (hemorrhage and no-hemorrhage groups). The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline was compared with that measured at 3 and 6 months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mean of 3.3±0.9 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were performed during the 6-month follow-up period. In the hemorrhage group (n=23), 6 patients additionally underwent pneumatic displacement with or without intravitreal tissue plasminogen activator. The logarithm of minimal angle of resolution BCVA at diagnosis, 3, and 6 months was 1.47±0.49, 0.91±0.79, and 0.81±0.83, respectively. Compared with baseline, BCVA was significantly better at 3 and 6 months (P=0.007 and P=0.001, respectively). In the no-hemorrhage group (n=24), the BCVA at defined time points was 1.23±0.32, 1.06±0.33, and 1.02±0.35, respectively. BCVA was significantly better at 3 and 6 months compared with baseline (P=0.006 and P=0.025, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal anti-VEGF was found to be beneficial in PCV eyes with poor baseline visual acuity, regardless of the presence of submacular hemorrhage. The magnitude of visual improvement was relatively greater in eyes with submacular hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Jae Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Gon
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lew
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D000069579:Ranibizumab