Pachychoroid-phenotype effects on 5-year visual outcomes of anti-VEGF monotherapy in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Purpose To investigate whether the efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monotherapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) differs between pachychoroid and non-pachychoroid phenotypes in the long term. Methods This retrospective longitudinal study included 115 treatment-naive eyes in 115 consecutive patients with symptomatic PCV who were treated with anti-VEGF monotherapy and were followed up for 5 years. Eligible eyes were assigned to either a pachy-PCV group, with a pachychoroid phenotype, or a non-pachy-PCV group, without a pachychoroid phenotype. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and other parameters over a 5-year period were compared between the groups. Results Forty-eight eyes and 67 eyes were classified into the pachy-PCV and non-pachy-PCV groups respectively. Baseline and 5-year BCVA (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.19 +/- 0.20 and 0.16 +/- 0.28 in the pachy-PCV group, respectively, and 0.25 +/- 0.26 and 0.26 +/- 0.36 in the non-pachy-PCV group respectively. BCVA did not change significantly in either group (p = 0.18 and 0.08 respectively). BCVA did not differ between the groups at any observation time-point. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) at baseline and at 5 years was significantly higher in the pachy-PCV group than in the non-pachy-PCV group (both p < 0.001); however, the mean rate of decrease in SFCT did not differ in either group over the 5-year period (22% vs. 23%, p = 0.81). Conclusion Our findings suggest that anti-VEGF monotherapy was similarly effective for pachychoroid- and non-pachychoroid-phenotype eyes with PCV, for at least 5 years, although further studies are required.