Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor with or without pneumatic displacement for submacular hemorrhage

PURPOSE: To compare the treatment outcomes of a combination of pneumatic displacement and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monotherapy for submacular hemorrhage resulting from exudative age-related macular degeneration. DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative, interventional case series. METHODS: Forty eyes treated with a combination therapy and 42 eyes treated with monotherapy for submacular hemorrhage resulting from exudative age-related macular degeneration with no significant difference in baseline central foveal thickness were compared. Central foveal thickness and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months after initial treatment were measured and compared between the 2 groups after adjustment of baseline central foveal thickness. RESULTS: Central foveal thickness (P < .0001) and BCVA (combination, P < .0001; monotherapy, P = .022) were improved after both treatments. Combination therapy showed more rapid improvement of central foveal thickness (P = .009) and BCVA (P = .007) within 1 month than monotherapy, but there was no difference at 6 months (P = .385 and P = .303, respectively). In eyes with subretinal hemorrhage thicker than 450 μm, visual outcome at 6 months was better in the combination therapy group than in the monotherapy group (P = .021), whereas BCVA showed no significant difference between groups in eyes with subretinal hemorrhage less than 450 μm (P = .930). CONCLUSIONS: Both treatments are useful options for submacular hemorrhage resulting from exudative age-related macular degeneration. Combination therapy may yield a better treatment outcome than monotherapy in eyes with thick subretinal hemorrhage. Nevertheless, the potential for adverse events resulting from pneumatic displacement should be considered.ope