title: Short-term focal macular electroretinogram of eyes treated by aflibercept & photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare short-term outcomes of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) with or without initial photodynamic therapy (PDT) for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) using focal macular electroretinography (FMERG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observation case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients (6 males, 6 females; 12 eyes) with naïve PCV received 3 initial IAIs and a single session of PDT 3 days after the first IAI (combination group), and 13 patients (7 males, 6 females; 13 eyes) with naïve PCV received 3 initial IAIs only (IAI group) were retrospectively observed. Changes in visual acuity, central retinal thickness (CRT), central choroidal thickness (CCT), and FMERG parameters (FMERGs) were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combination group showed improved visual acuity after the second and third IAI (P = 0.040, 0.019, respectively); both groups showed reduced CRT after the first IAI (P < 0.01, each). Only the combination group showed reduced CCT after the third IAI (P = 0.031). The FMERGs of the IAI group showed improved amplitudes of a-waves after the third IAI (P = 0.026) and of b-waves after the first and third IAI (P = 0.034, < 0.01, respectively); the combination group did not show improvement. The implicit times of the a- and b-waves were not changed in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy and IAI monotherapy each improved visual acuity and retinal structure to a similar degree; combination therapy reduced choroidal thickness but did not improve FMERGs in the short term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan. h-kaneko@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Piao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chang-Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terasaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000077362:Verteporfin; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
keywords: Aflibercept; Focal macular electroretinogram; Photodynamic therapy; Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy