Comparıson of the effects of aflıbersept and ranıbıumab on optıcal coherens tomography fındıngs ın patıents wıth age-related macula degeneratıon

Purpose: In our study; Optical coherence tomography of aflibercept (EyleaTM, Regeneron, NY) and ranibizumab (LucentisTM, Genentech, South San Francisco), two different anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti VEGF) in patients with wet-type age related macular degeneration (AMD). It was aimed to compare the effects of OCT on the findings. Materials and Methods: The files of patients who were diagnosed with wet AMD in our Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Eye Clinic between January 2013 and November 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who received intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy and were followed up regularly for 6 months were included in the study. Patients' age, gender, visual acuity, central foveal thickness (SFT) measurements, horizontal pigment epithelial detachment (PED) dimensions, vertical PED dimensions, hyperreflective dot (HRD) measurements before and after injection 1 month and 6 months OCT findings such as intraretinal cyst (IRC) measurements, inner segment/outer segment (ISOS) band defect, subretinal fluid (SRF) measurements, epiretinal membrane (ERM) measurements, outer limiting membrane (ELM) disorder, choroidal neovascularization (CNVM) measurements was recorded. The patients were divided into 2 groups as aflibercept and ranibizumab groups. Spectral Domain OCT (Heidelberg Engineering Spectral OCT, USA) device was used for Optical Coherence Tomography measurements. Findings: 103 eyes of 85 patients with wet AMD were included in the study. The mean age of the Aflibercept group was 72.96 ± 9.43 years. The mean age of the ranibizumab group was 75.0 ± 9.2 years. While the number of men was 32 (64%) and 18 (36%) women in the aflibercept group, the number of men was 34 (64.2%) and the number of women was 19 (35.8%) in the ranibizumab group. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of age and gender (p:0.269; p:1 respectively). Aflibercept was injected into 50 eyes and ranibizumab was injected into 53 eyes. In best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurements, aflibercept was found to be superior especially at 1 month (p:0.003), and no difference was found in BCVA at 6 months (p:0.233). A negative correlation was found between BCVA measurements and SFC measurements at 1 month (r:-0.322, p:0.001, respectively). In the comparison of aflibercept and ranibizumab at 6 months; Aflibercept was found to be more effective than ranibizumab in reducing SFT (p:0.014). However, no statistically significant difference was found between aflibercept and ranibizumab in horizontal PED, vertical PED, HRD, IRC, SRF, ERM, ELM, ISOS and CNVM measurements (p:0.119; p:0.220; p:0.167; p:0.531; p:0.351; p:0.844; p:0.768; p:0.944; p:0.703 respectively). Results: Intravitreal aflibercept and ranibizumab injections in wet AMD patients were found to have similar effects on other OCT findings except for SFT. Studies with long follow-up and large series on this subject will provide more information. Keywords: Age-related macular degeneration, optical coherence tomography, aflibercept, ranibizumab, choroidal neovascular membrane.