OCT Angiography Study of the Macula in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Intravitreal Aflibercept

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To compare foveal avascular zone density (FAZ) in the superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexus and vessel density (VD) in the macula in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated with intravitreal aflibercept.

Methods: Patients with DME were imaged at baseline, and 30 days after the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd intravitreal aflibercept injection. Images were analyzed for the FAZ area in the SCP and DCP in each visit and VD.

Results: Twenty eyes were enrolled. FAZ was 0.304 ± 0.131 mm² in the SCP and 0.738 ± 0.5836 mm² in the DCP at baseline. SCP FAZ was not significantly different whereas, FAZ in the DCP decreased (p = .035) after treatment. VD in the center was 20.62 ± 4.31 at baseline and decreased by 8% (p = .002). Parafoveal VD remained unchanged with treatment.

Conclusion: DCP ischemia may improve after aflibercept treatment. Central macular vessel density was found to decrease post-treatment, but the clinical relevance needs further investigation.

KEYWORDS:

• Aflibercept
• anti VEGF
• diabetic macular edema
• diabetic retinopathy
• optical coherence tomography
• OCT angiography

Declaration of interest

P.R., S.A., S.B., A.M., P.B., N.Z. and Sofia Androudi have no potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

A.D. and K.K. have received research grant support from Bayer [Grant no 19236]. The funder had no role in the study design, conduct, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript writing and dissemination of results.