# Evaluation of aflibercept treatment outcomes using optical coherence tomography angiography in macular telangiectasia type 1

## TL;DR

This study shows that aflibercept injections improve vision and reduce swelling in a type of eye disease called MacTel type 1, with notable changes in blood vessel density.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates aflibercept's impact on retinal microvasculature in MacTel type 1 using OCTA, revealing novel vascular changes.

## Key findings

- A single aflibercept injection improved visual acuity and reduced macular thickness in MacTel type 1 patients.
- Temporal quadrant vessel density significantly increased after treatment.
- Visual acuity improvement correlated strongly with macular thickness reduction.

## Abstract

To evaluate the anatomical, functional, and vascular effects of intravitreal aflibercept in macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 1 using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

This retrospective study included nine eyes of nine patients with MacTel type 1 who underwent a single intravitreal aflibercept injection. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and macular vessel density in superficial and deep capillary plexuses (SVD and DVD, respectively) were measured before and one month after treatment using swept-source OCT and OCTA.

Mean BCVA improved from 0.4 ± 0.3 to 0.2 ± 0.2 logMAR (p = 0.003) and CMT decreased from 371.4 ± 112 to 237.9 ± 55.1 μm (p = 0.003). Temporal SVD (p = 0.021) and temporal DVD (p = 0.020) showed statistically significant increase. BCVA change showed a strong positive correlation with CMT change (ρ = 0.70, p = 0.034). A moderate negative correlation between the change in BCVA (logMAR) and the change in inferior DVD did not achieve statistical significance (ρ= -0.635, p = 0.066).

A single intravitreal aflibercept injection led to significant anatomical and functional improvements in MacTel type 1, with a marked increase in vessel density in the temporal quadrant. This study indicates that the characteristics of retinal microvasculature may be modified following aflibercept injection in MacTel type 1 eyes, as observed through OCTA.