title: LONG-TERM REMISSION OF NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION WITH AS-NEEDED ANTI-VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the presenting characteristics of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration with long-term remission (LTR), which was defined as the absence of intraretinal/subretinal fluid, or hemorrhage, and absence of leakage on fluorescein angiography for longer than 6 months while on as-needed antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presenting characteristics of patients with LTR were compared with a control group including 32 eyes of 28 age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched patients who did not achieve LTR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-four percent of patients in the LTR group had Type 1 choroidal neovascular membrane and 18.5% had retinal angiomatous proliferation. In the control group, 28 eyes had Type 1 choroidal neovascular membrane (87.5%), and none of the patients had retinal angiomatous proliferation; overall, there was a significant difference in lesion types between the 2 groups (P = 0.036). Eyes with LTR at presentation had significantly thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness (147 vs. 178 μm, P = 0.04). There was more intraretinal fluid and less subretinal fluid at the presentation in the remission group (59.3% intraretinal fluid and 11.1% subretinal fluid) compared with the control group (28.1% intraretinal fluid and 34.4% subretinal fluid, P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of retinal angiomatous proliferation, thinner choroidal thickness, more intraretinal fluid, and less subretinal fluid at presentation were associated with LTR in patients receiving as-needed treatment for age-related macular degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Jacobs Retina Center, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, CA. Dr. Alam now with the Department of Ophthalmology, Tanta University, Egypt. Dr. You now with the Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ilkay Kilic
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Muftuoglu
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: Qi Sheng
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Raouf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaber
authors.forename: Hema L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ramkumar
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meshi
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor