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Hyperreflective foci in predicting the treatment outcome of antivascular endothelial growth factor in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

  • Retinal Disorders
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To describe the optical coherence tomographic findings of hyperreflective foci (HF) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration and evaluate the use of HF to predict visual outcome after antivascular endothelium growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy.

Methods

This was a post-hoc analysis of a retrospective cohort study. Hyperreflective foci were localized in the inner retina, outer retina, or subretinal fluid (SRF) layer. The treatment response of HF was recorded. The association between HF and visual outcome was analyzed.

Results

We enrolled 126 eyes. Hyperreflective foci involving more than one layer were associated with poor initial visual acuity (P < 0.001). Hyperreflective foci in each layer at baseline were negatively correlated with baseline visual acuity. At 3 months posttreatment, HF in the SRF layer had decreased significantly (P = 0.003), which was faster compared with HF in other layers. Baseline HF status at each layer was not associated with final visual outcome. The eyes with reduced HF in the SRF at 3 months had better visual improvement at 12 months (P = 0.038).

Conclusion

Hyperreflective foci involving multiple layers were associated with poor initial visual acuity but not with final visual outcome. With anti-VEGF treatment, HF in the SRF layer resolved faster, which may predict better visual outcome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

    Yun Hsia, Chang-Hao Yang, Yi-Ting Hsieh, Chung-May Yang, Tzyy-Chang Ho & Tso-Ting Lai

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chang-Hao Yang & Chung-May Yang

  3. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Tso-Ting Lai

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  1. Yun Hsia
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  2. Chang-Hao Yang
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  3. Yi-Ting Hsieh
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Correspondence to Tso-Ting Lai.

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(2) All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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(3) No Informed consent was obtained from the participants included in the study. Informed consent was not mandatory for this retrospective study

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Hsia, Y., Yang, CH., Hsieh, YT. et al. Hyperreflective foci in predicting the treatment outcome of antivascular endothelial growth factor in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 258, 273–280 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-019-04546-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-019-04546-1

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