AUTHOR=Li Songshan , Sun Limei , Zhao Xiujuan , Zhang Zhaotian , Luo Xiaoling , Ding Xiaoyan 

TITLE=Beyond the Visual Acuity: Assessing the Visual Function in mCNV Patients After Anti-VEGF Treatment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.709584

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.709584

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Purpose: To investigate visual function and vision-related quality of life (VR-QoL) changes in patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) after Ranibizumab treatment.
Methods: Quantitatively evaluate the objective tests of visual function (visual acuity, microperimetry and metamorphopsia by m-Charts) before and after 3+prn (pro re neta) ranibizumab treatment for one year. The National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) was performed to evaluate the VR-QoL. 
Results: 57 eyes of 57 patients were included in this study. After treatment, the median average metamorphopsia score was 0.65 before treatment and improved to 0.45 after treatment (p=0.0003). There was also a significant difference in the average threshold, macular integrity and proportion of patients with stable fixation by the microperimetry (p<0.000, <0.0001, p=0.03, respectively). After treatment, the VR-QoL composite, general vision subscale and vision related mental health subscale score were increased with broadline or statistically significance (p=0.088, p=0.0038, p=0.012, respectively). Subgroup analysis demonstrated parallel improvement of VR-QoL score, metamorphopsia, average macular threshold and fixation stability in patients with or without visual acuity increase. By multiple linear regression analysis, the VFQ-25 score after anti-VEGF treatment was only associated with baseline VFQ-25 score and macular integrity. Improvements in VFQ-25 score were only associated with changes in metamorphopsia score.
Conclusions: Integral lifting in several aspects of visual function was observed in mCNV after ranibizumab treatment. Macular integrity and metamorphopsia but not visual acuity, were associated with VR-QoL.