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

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.

SUBMITTER: Hong IH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5549406 | biostudies-other | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other