Morphometric changes in the parameters of the optic nerve head during intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF drug

Abstract

Purpose. To study the dynamics changes in the internal and deep structures of the optic nerve head (ОNН) against the background of three monthly injections of an anti-VEGF drug. Material and Methods. The study included 20 patients (20 eyes) with newly diagnosed exudative form of age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured with an ICare Pro before intravitreal injection (IVI), 1 minute after IVI, 30 minutes, 60 minutes during the first, second, and third injections. All patients underwent optical coherence tomography of the optic disc using a Heidelberg Spectralis OCT scanner in the Enhanced Depth Imagine mode. The study was carried out before IVI anti-VEGF drug, 1 month after the first injection, a month after 3 injections. Results. Statistically significant increase in IOP was found 1 min after IVI in dynamics (p < 0.001). Against the background of three loading IVI of the anti-VEGF drug, there was a tendency to increase the size of the excavation width, excavation depth, distance to the cribriform plate, however, no statistically significant changes were detected. Thus, 4 months after the start of antiangiogenic therapy after three IVI anti-VEGF drugs, increasing IOP immediately after IVI, which is transient, did not lead to morphological changes in the ONH. Conclusions. Аccording to optical coherence tomography, in patients with nAMD against the background of three loading IVIs of the antiVEGF drug, no statistically significant changes in the parameters of the internal and deep structures of the ONH were observed. Keywords: intraocular pressure, anti-VEGF therapy, optic nerve head