title: Baseline Characteristics of the Fellow Eye in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Post Hoc Analysis of the VIEW Studies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to describe baseline characteristics of the fellow eye of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A pooled, post hoc analysis of patients with nAMD enrolled in the VIEW studies was carried out. The VIEW studies compared intravitreal aflibercept (monthly or every 2 months after 3 monthly injections) with monthly ranibizumab. Baseline choroidal neovascularization (CNV) status of fellow eyes and baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and lens status of all eyes were evaluated. Additional analyses evaluated the presence of drusen and pigment in fellow eyes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When comparing both eyes, baseline BCVA was worse in 23.8% of fellow eyes and in 75.2% of study eyes. Lens status of fellow eyes and study eyes was similar. Baseline visual acuity of the study eye and that of the fellow eye were not correlated. Most fellow eyes had signs of early AMD, with 34.6% (n = 843) of fellow eyes having evidence of scarring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients in the VIEW studies, most fellow eyes had evidence of AMD, highlighting the importance of examining both eyes, with close follow-up thereafter, in order to detect and treat CNV earlier as needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bandello
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loewenstein
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slakter
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sowade
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Korobelnik
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000069579:Ranibizumab