title: Photoreceptor Integrity Predicts Response to Anti-VEGF Treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessing changes in foveal photoreceptor microstructure (FPM) following intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment may serve as a prognostic marker in patients with macular edema (ME).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen eyes belonging to newly diagnosed patients with ME were included in this prospective longitudinal study. FPM integrity was evaluated at baseline and at the end of a series of anti-VEGF injections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment led to a significant improvement in mean visual acuity (VA) and central macular thickness. A larger FPM defect was associated with lower VA, both before and after treatment. Patients with larger FPM defects at baseline had smaller VA improvements, and the improvement in FPM integrity was associated with VA improvement (every 100-µm FPM recovery contributed to a gain of 0.04 logMAR).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recovery of FPM after anti-VEGF treatment was significantly associated with a VA improvement. Direct measurement of photoreceptor integrity might provide an additional tool for the assessment of retinal function and treatment response in patients newly diagnosed with ME.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel.
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Achiron
authors.forename: Ayana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kydyrbaeva
authors.forename: Vitaly
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lagstein
authors.forename: Zvia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Burgansky
authors.forename: Oren
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blumenfeld
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bar
authors.forename: Elisha
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bartov
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab