To evaluate the short-term effect of intravitreal aflibercept (Eylea®; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA and Bayer, Basel, Switzerland) on the visual outcomes and retinal anatomic changes of patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

Intravitreal Eylea® was injected into 16 eyes of 16 patients with PCV in this retrospective case study. After therapy, the patients were followed up for over 3 months. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and abnormal vasculature on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) were evaluated.

The mean log MAR BCVA was 0.75 ± 0.60 at baseline, 0.74 ± 0.60 and 0.71 ± 0.63 at 1 and 2 months, respectively ( p > 0.05) and 0.57 ± 0.53 at 3 months ( p < 0.05) after treatment. The mean CFT was 379 ± 130 µm at baseline, 281 ± 92 µm, 247 ± 54 µm, and 231 ± 51 µm at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively, after treatment ( p < 0.05). Complete resolution was 43%, 55%, and 50% at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively in pigment epithelial detachment (PED), 67%, 83%, and 92% at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively in subretinal fluid (SRF) and 33%, 60%, and 60% at 1, 2, and 3 months, respectively in intraretinal fluid (IRF) using OCT. The polypoidal lesions in ICGA decreased in 12 of 14 eyes (86%).

Intravitreal injection of Eylea® with PCV reduced CFT due to decreased retinal PED, SRF, IRF and occluded effectively the polypoidal lesion leaking. Compared with baseline, mean BCVA at the 3-month follow-up was significantly improved.