Thin choroid and age may be predictors for geographic atrophy in macular neovascularization
In patients diagnosed with unilateral type 3 macular neovascularization (MNV), certain characteristics in the fellow eye can predict the development of geographic atrophy (GA) without neovascularization, according to a study.
The study suggests that older age, the presence of baseline GA, and a thin choroid in the fellow eye are indicative factors associated with a higher probability of progression towards fellow-eye GA instead of neovascularization.
In the study, 84 patients with unilateral type 3 MNV were categorized into the NV and GA groups based on the final follow-up outcomes. The researchers then compared patient demographics and baseline characteristics of the fellow eye between the two groups.
The results, drawn from a mean follow-up period of 40.5±11.5 months after diagnosis, revealed key differences between the GA and NV groups. Patients in the GA group (n = 28) were notably older, with a mean age of 77.4 ± 5.2 years compared to 74.2 ± 5.8 years in the NV group (P = 0.016). In addition, the GA group exhibited significantly thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness at a mean of 109.4 ± 36.8 µm, in contrast to the NV group’s 173.1 ± 77.6 µm (P < 0.001). Moreover, the incidence of baseline GA was significantly higher in the GA group (39.3% vs 16.1%, P = 0.019).
Multivariate analysis further highlighted that subfoveal choroidal thickness had a close negative association with the risk of GA rather than neovascularization. This suggests that thin choroids in the fellow eye may be indicative of a higher likelihood of progression toward fellow-eye GA instead of neovascularization.
Reference
Kim JH, Kim JW, Kim CG. Characteristics Predictive of Fellow-Eye Geographic Atrophy without Neovascularization in Unilateral Type 3 Macular Neovascularization. Retina. 2023;doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004006. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37973042.
This content is independent editorial sponsored by Astellas. Astellas had no input in the development of this content.
