Impact of Persistent Retinal Fluid in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Routine Clinical...

To determine whether quantification of intraretinal fluid (IRF) and subretinal fluid (SRF) can be used as a biomarker for predicting visual prognosis in routine clinical practice.

Retrospective, nonrandomized cohort study review of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration from January 1, 2012, to March 1, 2018.

In the 286-patient cohort, the mean baseline, 6-month, and 12-month best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 60.24 ± 18.63, 65.57 ± 16.56, and 65.61 ± 17.37 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters, respectively (P < .001). The regression coefficient in the linear mixed effects regression model quantifying the association between eyes in the fourth and first quartile of IRF and 12-month BCVA was -4.14 (95% CI, -6.65 to -1.63) (P = .001) ETDRS letters. The regression coefficient quantifying the association between eyes in the fourth and first quartile of SRF and 12-month BCVA was -0.7 (95% CI, -3.07 to 1.27) (P = .56) ETDRS letters.

IRF and SRF are valuable biomarkers for BCVA outcomes in treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration in routine clinical practice. [.