Comparison of the effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments on pigment epithelial detachment in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare structural and visual outcomes of naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients with significant pigment epithelial detachment (PED), treated with ranibizumab and aflibercept.
Methods: This was a retrospective case series that included 33 naive patients treated with ranibizumab and 25 with aflibercept. The patients were followed with pro re nata (PRN) after first three intravitreal injections. LogMAR visual acuity, PED height and radius on spectral domain optical coherence tomography findings were compared.
Results: Baseline mean PED height was 270.39 ± 114.14 µm and 315.24 ± 115.8 µm (p = 0.14); baseline mean PED radius was 2063.64 ± 942.75 µm and 1958.88 ± 452.22 µm (p = 0.61); and baseline BCVA was 1.16 ± 0.73 and 1.09 ± 0.69 (p = 0.73), for ranibizumab, and aflibercept group, respectively. In aflibercept group, there was statistically significant decrease in PED height at first, third and 12th months. In PED radius, decrease was greater in aflibercept group, however not significant. In addition, in aflibercept group visual acuity was better at all three months; however, none of them were significant.
Conclusion: Although the maximum improvement was seen at third month, final visual acuity and parameters of PED were better in aflibercept group. The efficacy of the both drug to choroidal neovascularization was known; however, in cases with significant PED, aflibercept can be consider for the first-level treatment.