Pneumatic displacement of submacular haemorrhage secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Background

To compare the visual and anatomical outcomes of pneumatic displacement (PD) combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy versus anti-VEGF monotherapy in treatment-naive eyes with submacular haemorrhage (SMH) secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Methods

In a retrospective comparative interventional study of 57 eyes, the changes in logMAR visual acuity (VA), and SMH height and area at baseline at months 1, 3 and 12 were compared between the PD and non-PD groups.

Results

There was no significant difference in mean VA in the PD versus non-PD group at month 12 (1.1 versus 0.7, p = 0.09). At baseline, the PD group, compared to the non-PD group, had significantly larger SMH area (35.9 versus 26.9 mm², p = 0.04) and SMH height at the fovea (733.7 versus 503.6 µm, p < 0.01). The greatest reduction in SMH height and area occurred between baseline and month 1 in the PD group, which was faster than between month 1 and month 3 in the non-PD group, with similar findings in the matched pair analysis matched for SMH height and area. In the multivariable analysis, only baseline VA was associated with VA outcomes (month 1: β = −0.46, 95% [confidence interval] CI = −0.78 to −0.14, p = 0.006; month 3: β = −0.52, 95% CI = −0.86 to −0.18, p = 0.004; and month 12: β = −0.78, 95% CI = −1.16 to −0.39, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The visual outcome of SMH at month 12 in nAMD and PCV is poor regardless of whether PD is performed in addition to anti-VEGF therapy, although a more rapid resolution of SMH can be expected.