Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor with Gas for Submacular Hemorrhage

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the treatment outcome of pneumatic displacement and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for submacular hemorrhage (SMH) from exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) were measured at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after initial treatment in 72 eyes of 72 patients treated with a combination of pneumatic displacement and anti-VEGF injection for SMH from exudative AMD. RESULTS: Best-corrected visual acuity and CFT showed significant improvement from baseline during the 6-month follow-up period (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution BCVA from 1.80 to 1.00, CFT from 886 to 383 μm, p < 0.001, respectively). The decrease in subretinal hemorrhage was greater than that in subretinal pigment epithelial hemorrhage at 1 month after initial treatment (p < 0.001). In eyes with symptoms for less than 30 days, higher reflectivity of hemorrhage on optical coherence tomography and higher CFT were associated with lower BCVA after 6 months of treatment (reflectivity B = 0.335, p = 0.007; CFT B = 0.001, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of pneumatic displacement and intravitreal anti-VEGF is a useful treatment option for SMH secondary to AMD. Higher baseline CFT and higher reflectivity of hemorrhage were associated with lower BCVA 6 months after initial treatment.