# Baseline predictors of short-term visual outcomes after intravitreal conbercept injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration

## TL;DR

This study identifies factors that predict short-term visual outcomes in patients treated with conbercept for a type of age-related eye disease.

## Contribution

The study identifies new baseline predictors of visual prognosis after conbercept injections for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

## Key findings

- Best-corrected visual acuity, retinal sensitivity, and retinal thickness improved significantly after treatment.
- Subretinal hyperreflective dots, external limiting membrane state, baseline visual acuity, and age are independent predictors of visual outcomes.
- 22 patients showed improved vision, while 36 had unimproved vision after 6 months of treatment.

## Abstract

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision
loss in the elderly. We aimed to identify baseline predictors of visual
prognosis after intravitreal conbercept injection for neovascular
age-related macular degeneration.

We conducted a retrospective review of 58 patients with neovascular
age-related macular degeneration who were treated with intravitreal
injections of conbercept 0.5 mg in routine clinical practice. Basic
information such as age, sex, intraocular pressure, and disease course was
collected. Best-corrected visual acuity, mean retinal sensitivity, and
optical coherence tomography findings were recorded at baseline and 6 months
after treatment. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify
independent predictors of best-corrected visual acuity at 6 months after
treatment.

After the 6-month treatment, the mean best-corrected visual acuity improved
from 1.10 ± 0.42 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution
(logMAR) to 0.41 ± 0.18 logMAR, the mean retinal sensitivity
increased from 5.13 ± 0.86 dB to 7.32 ± 1.21 dB, the mean
central retinal thickness decreased from 440.38 ± 61.05 µm to
260.01 ± 24.86 µm, and the total number of hyperreflective
dots and the number of hyperreflective dots in each retina layer were
significantly reduced as compared with those before treatment (all
p<0.05). Twenty-two patients showed improved vision, and 36 had
unimproved vision. Multivariate analyses revealed that the number of
subretinal hyperreflective dots, the state of external limiting membrane,
baseline best-corrected visual acuity, and age were independent predictors
of best-corrected visual acuity (all p<0.05).

Poor recovery of patients after intravitreal conbercept injection may be
related to the number of subretinal hyperreflective dots, the state of
external limiting membrane, baseline best-corrected visual acuity, and age,
which may be used as predictors of short-term visual outcomes and should be
fully evaluated before operation.