Quantitative physiological measurements to evaluate the response of antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment in patients with neovascular diseases

Indian J Ophthalmol. 2017 Jul;65(7):559-568. doi: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_278_17.

Abstract

Antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment is still used intravitreally worldwide for various neovascular diseases, despite other available, approved treatments. We performed a systematic search of the literature focused on visual physiology studies. We used the online biomedical search engine PubMed and searched key words including "M-chart," "Preferential Hyperacuity Perimetry," "microperimetry," (MP) "electroretinography," and "contrast sensitivity" to estimate treatment efficacy of anti-VEGF treatments in a quantitative manner. Many studies were identified which used a variety of methodologies, disease entities, injected agents, and patient populations, making it difficult to obtain a direct comparison of their results. However, favorable functional outcomes achieved using current quantitative methods would lend further confidence to the effectiveness of a treat-and-extend protocol using intravitreal anti-VEGF for the management of patients with neovascular diseases. Despite anti-VEGF's wide use, a well-designed longitudinal multicenter study to systematically evaluate and compare different physiological methods or parameters in patients with neovascular diseases is still lacking, though it would benefit therapeutic decisions.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / drug therapy*
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / physiopathology
  • Contrast Sensitivity / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Retinal Neovascularization / drug therapy*
  • Retinal Neovascularization / physiopathology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Visual Fields / physiology*

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A