Patients with CNV secondary to CSCR may benefit from anti-VEGF therapy.

Patients with CNV secondary to CSCR may benefit from anti-VEGF therapy. Photo: Mohammad Rafieetary, OD. Click image to enlarge.

A recent study found that anti-VEGF is an effective treatment for patients with putative or visible choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Additionally, the study authors reported that early initiation of therapy benefits patients with putative CNV detectable by OCT-A.

This retrospective cohort study included 16 eyes of 15 treatment-naïve CSCR patients who were divided into two groups: a putative CNV group with nonhomogeneous hyperreflectivity in the slab of choriocapillaris and a visible CNV group with an obvious tangled vascular network in the slab of choriocapillaris on OCT-A.

The following parameters were evaluated by OCT-A: central macular thickness, height of subretinal fluid, number of hyperreflective foci and area of putative or visible CNV. The data showed that, when compared with baseline, visual acuity was improved significantly at the last follow-up. Additionally, central macular thickness and the height of subretinal fluid had decreased significantly.

The study authors also observed a decline in the number of hyperreflective foci in the outer retina and choriocapillaris layer. Findings revealed that while the visible CNV area in the eyes was practically unchanged during anti-VEGF treatment, the area of putative CNV showed a clear reduction, according to the researchers.

“Anti-VEGF therapy appears to be a promising alternative strategy to treat CSCR with putative or visible CNV. Early initiation of anti-VEGF treatment would benefit the patients more with favorable anatomical and functional outcomes, such as visual acuity improvement, central macular thickness reduction, subretinal fluid resolution and decreased hyperreflective foci,” the study authors stated in their recent Journal of Ophthalmology paper. “A long-term randomized controlled trial for CSCR patients with putative or visible CNV on OCT-A treated with anti-VEGF drugs warrants further study.”

Zhang Y, Zhang J, Sun X. The efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy for putative or visible CNV in central serous chorioretinopathy by optical coherence tomography angiography. J Ophthalmol. September 28, 2022. [Epub ahead of print].