Macular epiretinal brachytherapy in treated age-related macular degeneration (MERITAGE): month 12 optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography

PURPOSE: To report the optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) results of the Macular Epiretinal Brachytherapy in Treated Age-Related Macular Degeneration study.

DESIGN: Prospective, multicenter, interventional, noncontrolled clinical trial.

PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-three eyes of 53 participants with chronic, active neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) requiring frequent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor retreatment.

METHODS: Participants underwent pars plana vitrectomy with a single 24-gray dose of epimacular brachytherapy (EMB), delivered with an intraocular, handheld, cannula containing a strontium 90/yttrium 90 source positioned over the active lesion. Participants were retreated with ranibizumab administered monthly as needed, using predefined retreatment criteria. Patients underwent FFA at baseline, month 1, and month 12. Patients underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) at baseline and then monthly for 12 months. The FFA and OCT images were evaluated by independent, central reading facilities.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in OCT centerpoint thickness and angiographic lesion size 12 months after EMB.

RESULTS: Mean centerpoint thickness increased by 50 μm, from 186 to 236 μm (P = 0.292), but 70% of participants had an increase of less than the mean, with a median increase of only 1.8 μm. The FFA total lesion size increased slightly by 0.79 mm(2), from 14.69 to 15.48 mm(2) (P = 0.710). Total choroidal neovascularization (CNV) area increased by 1.17 mm(2), from 12.94 to 14.12 mm(2) (P = 0.556). The classic CNV area decreased substantially by 3.70 mm(2), from 3.90 to 0.20 mm(2) (P<0.01). Predominantly classic lesions showed the greatest response, with mean Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study visual acuity improving by 1.5 letters (versus -4.0 for all participants combined); mean centerpoint thickness decreased by 43 μm (P = 0.875). The angiographic and OCT response did not correlate with lesion size at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: In chronic, active, neovascular AMD, EMB is associated with nonsignificant changes in centerpoint thickness and FFA total lesion size over 12 months.