Correlation between Visual Outcomes and Pre-Treatment Factors Including Hyperreflective Foci in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between hyperreflective foci (HF) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at baseline and visual outcomes after intravitreal ranibizumab injection in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 44 eyes of 44 nAMD patients. The number of HF was counted according to the location of HF on SD-OCT neurosensory retinal layer, outer retinal layer, and subretinal layer. Statistical correlations among final visual acuity (VA) and pretreatment OCT parameters including number of HF, foveal thickness (FT), thickness of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), the status of external limiting membrane, and photoreceptor inner and outer segments (IS/OS) were evaluated. RESULTS: The number of HF was reduced in all retinal layers in nAMD patients after treatment. In multivariate regression analysis, final VA was associated with baseline VA, number of subretinal HF, and IS/OS disruption length (p = 0.028, p = 0.046 and p = 0.009, respectively) in nAMD patients. The baseline number of subretinal HF was correlated with final FT and CNV thickness (p = 0.002 and p = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The baseline number of subretinal HF on SD-OCT might predict the final VA after intravitreal ranibizumab treatment in nAMD patients.