Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography for choroidal neovascularization after bevacizumab and photodynamic therapy

Abstract Purpose To report the swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) findings after bevacizumab anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) and full-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) for choroidal neovascularization. Design Case report. Methods An 87-year-old, Chinese male presented with a shadow and decreased vision to 20/160 in his left eye (OS). Clinical examination, color photographs, swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), widefield dye-fluorescein angiography (FA) and SS-OCTA revealed an extrafoveal, subretinal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the superior macula. Bevacizumab anti-VEGF and full-fluence PDT was initiated. Results Initial imaging with conventional color photography and FA demonstrated a classic CNV with significant early hyperfluorescence and late leakage. SS-OCT demonstrated subretinal hyperreflective material, fluid and hemorrhage emanating from a subretinal, type 2 neovascularization (NV). SS-OCTA showed a mixed lesion with a type 2, subretinal component with segmentation above the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and a type 1, sub-RPE component below. Treatment with anti-VEGF and PDT led to immediate regression of the CNV. One month after treatment, SS-OCTA demonstrated significant resolution of the type, 2 subretinal component and decreased flow and size of the type 1 sub-RPE lesion. Conclusion We report the first SS-OCTA images of successfully treated extrafoveal NV after combination PDT and ant-VEGF therapy. Early treatment of extrafoveal NV may improve our ability to treat mixed type 1 and 2 NV before these neovascular complexes mature from repetitive anti-VEGF treatment.