The Impact of Epiretinal Membrane in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment: A Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the impact of epiretinal membrane (ERM) on anatomical and functional results in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth (anti-VEGF) injections.

METHODS: Participants in the study were 48 patients with either wet AMD alone (AMD group, n = 27) or AMD and ERM (AMD/ERM group, n = 21). All patients received intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (three monthly injections and PRN thereafter) and were followed up for at least 12 months. All participants had best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at each visit, while fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline and then at the discretion of the physician.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant improvement in BCVA at month 12 compared to baseline in each group (p < 0.001 for both groups), while the two groups did not differ significantly regarding BCVA at the end of the follow-up (p = 0.056). Additionally, there was a statistically significant reduction in CRT in both groups at month 12 (p < 0.001 for AMD group and p = 0.004 for AMD/ERM group) with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.183). Patients in the AMD group had a lower percentage of subretinal fluid (25.9%) than patients in the AMD/ERM group (52.4%) at the end of the follow-up, while ellipsoid zone disruption was found to be more profound in the AMD/ERM group (38.1%) than in the AMD group (18.5%). Patients in the AMD/ERM group needed more injections (7.1 ± 2.0 injections) than patients in the AMD group (4.8 ± 1.7 injections).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients in the AMD/ERM group had a higher percentage of subretinal and intraretinal fluid and ellipsoid zone interruption during the follow-up period. Anti-VEGF treatment appeared to have a beneficial effect in both groups, although the AMD/ERM group needed more injections compared to the AMD group.