Use of Adjunctive Corticosteroid With Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agents in the Treatment of Choroidal Neovascular Membrane Associated With Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of combination treatment of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections and corticosteroids in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS). Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted in a cohort from Illinois and Missouri. Patients were identified over an 8-year period, and data were evaluated over a 1-year study window commencing with treatment initiation. Group 1 included patients treated with intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF, and group 2 included those who received intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF and adjuvant corticosteroids. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements and increases in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter score were compared between each group. Results: Using the method of last visit carried forward, the visual acuity (VA) in group 2 was 6.42 ETDRS letters better than the VA in group 1 at the final assessment. Patients in group 2 had a mean ETDRS letter gain of 21.50 ( P = .06) from the initial baseline vision. The average amount of decrease in OCT central subfield thickness compared with baseline was lower in group 1 (80.9 ± 129.8 µm) vs group 2 (102.8 ± 90.40 µm) at the 1-year follow-up visit ( P = .25). Conclusions: Approved treatment of CNV secondary to POHS is limited. Adjuvant corticosteroid treatment in patients with CNV secondary to POHS may provide better long-term vision and OCT outcomes than anti-VEGF alone and may offer an additional therapy option for these patients.