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

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 1 year. The National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) was performed to evaluate the VR-QoL. Results: A total of 57 eyes of 57 patients were included in this study. 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, p < 0.0001, and p = 0.03, respectively). After treatment, the VR-QoL composite, general vision subscale, and vision-related mental health subscale score were increased with borderline or statistical significance (p = 0.088, p = 0.0038, and p = 0.012, respectively). Subgroup analysis demonstrated parallel improvement of the 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 the baseline VFQ-25 score and macular integrity. Improvements in the VFQ-25 score were only associated with changes in the 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.