CORRELATION OF SUBRETINAL HYPERREFLECTIVE MATERIAL MORPHOLOGY AND VISUAL ACUITY IN NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

PURPOSE To evaluate the association of subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) morphological features with visual acuity in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. METHODS Retrospective analysis of treatment-naive patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration enrolled in randomized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-platelet-derived growth factor clinical trials. Standardized spectral domain optical coherence tomography images were graded at baseline, 12-week, and 24-week follow-up visits. Masked readers evaluated the morphology of SHRM (reflectivity, shape, anterior, and posterior boundaries) and measured SHRM height, width, and area at the fovea, within the center 1 mm, and outside the center 1 mm. RESULTS Baseline SHRM characteristics that correlated with worse visual acuity at 12 and 24 weeks included layered appearance (P = 0.006, 0.001), hyperreflective spots in SHRM (P = 0.001, 0.011), and separation between SHRM and outer retina (P = 0.03, 0.019). The disappearance of SHRM correlated with better visual acuity at Weeks 12 and 24 (P < 0.001). Layered appearance of SHRM at baseline was significantly associated with increased reflectivity at Weeks 12 and 24 (P = 0.009, 0.003). Decreasing reflectivity of SHRM lesion at Weeks 12 and 24 correlated with better visual acuity (P < 0.01, 0.01). Increased width and area of baseline SHRM at the foveal center correlated with worse visual acuity at 12 (P < 0.001