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Updated: Jul 25, 2026
Retinal Vascular Reactivity as Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography
Published on: March 26, 2020
RETINAL MICROVASCULAR CHANGES IN UVEAL MELANOMA FOLLOWING CONBERCEPT INJECTION AFTER PLAQUE RADIOTHERAPY AS DETECTED
Jing Yan Yang1, Qian Wang, Meng Xi Chen
1Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Ophthalmology and Visual Science Key Lab, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Intraocular Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China .
Purpose:
To investigate macular microvascular characteristics imaged by optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with uveal melanoma following conbercept injections after plaque radiotherapy.
Methods:
Prospective comparative analysis comprising 15 patients with uveal melanoma with conbercept injections and 30 patients without conbercept injections after plaque radiotherapy by optical coherence tomography angiography. The conbercept group received intravitreal conbercept injections at the time of plaque removal, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months , 9 months and 12 months after plaque removal (total, 6 injections). The control group had no intravitreal conbercept injection.
Results:
After initiation of conbercept injections, superficial retinal vascular density in the whole image and parafoveal region were significantly higher at 6 months, whereas there was no significant difference at 9 months and 12 months. In analysis of variance analysis, superficial retinal vascular density in the whole image remained stable after conbercept injections (P = 0.069), whereas the superficial retinal vascular density decreased significantly after plaque radiotherapy in the control group (P = 0.011). In multivariable linear regression, a higher superficial retinal vascular density in the whole image region at 6 months was significantly associated with intravitreal conbercept injection (P = 0.018), wider tumor base (P = 0.026), and thinner tumor thickness (P = 0.04).
Conclusion:
Optical coherence tomography angiography can provide a quantitative evaluation of early retinal microvascular changes after radiotherapy. Intravitreal conbercept treatment could partly relieve the retinal vascular damage in response to radiation therapy at early stage in patients with uveal melanoma; however, it may not be able to provide long-term positive functional outcomes.
