ORCA study: real-world versus reading centre assessment of disease activity of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)

Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 Nov;104(11):1573-1578. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-315717. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Abstract

Background/aims: The prospective, non-interventional ORCA module of the OCEAN study (Observation of Treatment Patterns with Lucentis in Approved Indications) evaluated the qualiy of spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) image interpretation and treatment decisions by clinicians in Germany and the impact on visual outcomes over 24 months in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods: 2286 SD-OCT scans of 205 eyes were independently evaluated by clinicians and reading centres (RCs) regarding signs of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) activity, including presence of intraretinal fluid, subretinal fluid, and/or increase in pigment epithelial detachments. Agreement between clinicians and RCs was calculated. Treatment decisions by clinicians and the impact on treatment outcomes were evaluated.

Results: CNV activity was detected by RCs on 1578 scans (69.0%) and by clinicians on 1392 scans (60.9%), with agreement in 74.9% of cases. Of the 1578 scans with RC detected CNV activity, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections were performed by clinicians in only 35.5% (560/1578). In 19.7% of cases (311/1578), lack of treatment was justified by patients request, termination criteria or chronic cystoid spaces without other signs for CNV activity. In 44.8% of cases (707/1578) with RC detected CNV activity, clinicians claimed no treatment was necessary despite having correctly detected CNV activity in about 2/3 of these cases. In 34% of cases with presumed undertreatment, visual acuity declined in the following visit.

Conclusion: Although broad agreement on CNV activity parameters was observed between clinicians and RCs, correct identification of CNV activity did not always lead to the initiation of (re-)treatment. To preserve vision over time, correct interpretation of SD-OCT scans and careful retreatment decisions are required.

Trial registration number: NCT02194803.

Keywords: macula; neovascularisation; retina.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / diagnosis*
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / drug therapy*
  • Choroidal Neovascularization / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Intravitreal Injections
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Ranibizumab / therapeutic use*
  • Subretinal Fluid
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Visual Acuity / physiology
  • Wet Macular Degeneration / diagnosis*
  • Wet Macular Degeneration / drug therapy*
  • Wet Macular Degeneration / physiopathology

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Ranibizumab

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02194803