title: Peripapillary choroidal thickness after intravitreal ranibizumab injections in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to investigate peripapillary choroidal thickness (CT) in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to assess whether peripapillary CT is affected by intravitreal injection of ranibizumab (IVR) in eyes with neovascular AMD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripapillary and subfoveal CT were measured in spectral domain optical coherence tomography images from 39 eyes of neovascular AMD patients and 39 eyes of age-matched controls retrospectively. The patients were treated with 0.5 mg IVR monthly for 3 months and retreated as needed. Peripapillary CT at baseline, 3 months and 6 months was measured at four locations (superior, nasal, inferior and temporal areas).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean peripapillary and subfoveal baseline CTs of the eyes with neovascular AMD (153.3 ± 45.3 μm and 228.6 ± 78.6 μm) were not different from those of the controls (149.0 ± 42.3 μm and 221.4 ± 54.1 μm; P = 0.665 and P = 0.639, respectively). Subfoveal CT decreased at 3 months (213.8 ± 75.8 μm, P < 0.001) and 6 months (215.1 ± 72.8 μm, P = 0.002) following IVR treatment. Mean peripapillary CT did not show significant changes at 3 months (149.6 ± 43.8 μm, P = 0.156) or 6 months (150.0 ± 43.4 μm, P = 0.187). Subanalysis revealed that only temporal peripapillary CT decreased from baseline (167.1 ± 54.5 μm) to 3 months (159.4 ± 50.8 μm, P = 0.010) and was sustained at 6 months (160.6 ± 49.6, P = 0.026). However, superior, nasal and inferior peripapillary CT did not show significant changes after IVR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in peripapillary CT after IVR were limited to the macular area. This result may suggest that IVR does not affect CT outside of the macula in the eyes of patients with neovascular AMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 126-1 Anam-dong 5-ga, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, South Korea. cheolminyun@daum.net.
authors.forename: Cheolmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 126-1 Anam-dong 5-ga, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, South Korea. ojr4991@yahoo.co.kr.
authors.forename: Jaeryung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 126-1 Anam-dong 5-ga, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, South Korea. kwangu2@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Kwang-Eon
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. hwangsy214@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Soon-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 126-1 Anam-dong 5-ga, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, South Korea. ksw64723@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seong-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, 126-1 Anam-dong 5-ga, Sungbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, South Korea. dumky@unitel.co.kr.
authors.forename: Kuhl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab