Distinct interactions between macular neovascularization and geographic atrophy: Growth dynamics and fellow-eye risk
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, US
- 2Eye Clinic, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- 3Shiraz University of Medical Science, School of Medicine, Shiraz, Fars, Iran
Abstract
Purpose: To compare geographic atrophy (GA) growth in eyes with and without macular neovascularization (MNV) and evaluate anti-VEGF therapy effects on GA progression.
Methods: One eye per patient with GA with one-year of follow-up was included. Patients who developed MNV in previously diagnosed GA were assigned to the MNV-GA group, while those who did not were assigned to the non-MNV group. OCT determined MNV location and type. GA was quantified from RPE en-face images using ImageJ over one year. Fellow eyes were followed to last visit. Analyses used SPSS with Mann–Whitney U; P < 0.05 denoted significance, and prespecified thresholds applied throughout analyses.
Results: A total of 60 eyes from 60 patients were included (mean age: 82.75 ± 7.31; 56.7% female). A significant difference in GA area growth over one year was observed between two groups, with slower GA enlargement in MNV-GA group (1.15 mm2 vs. 2.36 mm2; P = 0.001; and square root: 0.38 ± 0.28 vs. 0.46 ± 0.36; P = 0.040). In MNV-GA eyes, GA growth showed no correlation with the number of anti-VEGF injections (P = 0.692). Most MNVs were type 1 (46.7%) and type 2 (43.3%) and were predominantly located at the GA border (70.0%), particularly in the central (30.0%) and superior (30.0%) sectors. Among the 60 fellow-eyes, 27 (45.0%) developed MNV during follow-up. Of these, 25 eyes (83.3%) were from patients from MNV-GA group, whereas only 2 eyes (6.7%) were from non-MNV group (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Eyes with MNV-GA showed slower GA enlargement over one-year, regardless of anti-VEGF frequency, and higher fellow-eye MNV risk, indicating shared risk factors but distinct mechanisms influencing disease progression.
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BibTeX
@article{sadeghi2026distinct,
title = {{Distinct interactions between macular neovascularization and geographic atrophy: Growth dynamics and fellow-eye risk}},
author = {Elham Sadeghi and Giulia Gregori and Joseph DeCicco and Zahra Sadeghi and Priyanka Gandhi and Sandeep Chandra Bollepalli and Kiran Kumar Vupparaboina and Jose Alain Sahel and Andrew W Eller and Jay Chhablani},
journal = {European Journal of Ophthalmology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1177/11206721261461910},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/11206721261461910},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Distinct interactions between macular neovascularization and geographic atrophy: Growth dynamics and fellow-eye risk
AU - Elham Sadeghi
AU - Giulia Gregori
AU - Joseph DeCicco
AU - Zahra Sadeghi
AU - Priyanka Gandhi
AU - Sandeep Chandra Bollepalli
AU - Kiran Kumar Vupparaboina
AU - Jose Alain Sahel
AU - Andrew W Eller
AU - Jay Chhablani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/06
JO - European Journal of Ophthalmology
DO - 10.1177/11206721261461910
UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/11206721261461910
AB - Purpose: To compare geographic atrophy (GA) growth in eyes with and without macular neovascularization (MNV) and evaluate anti-VEGF therapy effects on GA progression. Methods: One eye per patient with GA with one-year of follow-up was included. Patients who developed MNV in previously diagnosed GA were assigned to the MNV-GA group, while those who did not were assigned to the non-MNV group. OCT determined MNV location and type. GA was quantified from RPE en-face images using ImageJ over one year. Fellow eyes were followed to last visit. Analyses used SPSS with Mann–Whitney U; P < 0.05 denoted significance, and prespecified thresholds applied throughout analyses. Results: A total of 60 eyes from 60 patients were included (mean age: 82.75 ± 7.31; 56.7% female). A significant difference in GA area growth over one year was observed between two groups, with slower GA enlargement in MNV-GA group (1.15 mm2 vs. 2.36 mm2; P = 0.001; and square root: 0.38 ± 0.28 vs. 0.46 ± 0.36; P = 0.040). In MNV-GA eyes, GA growth showed no correlation with the number of anti-VEGF injections (P = 0.692). Most MNVs were type 1 (46.7%) and type 2 (43.3%) and were predominantly located at the GA border (70.0%), particularly in the central (30.0%) and superior (30.0%) sectors. Among the 60 fellow-eyes, 27 (45.0%) developed MNV during follow-up. Of these, 25 eyes (83.3%) were from patients from MNV-GA group, whereas only 2 eyes (6.7%) were from non-MNV group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Eyes with MNV-GA showed slower GA enlargement over one-year, regardless of anti-VEGF frequency, and higher fellow-eye MNV risk, indicating shared risk factors but distinct mechanisms influencing disease progression.
SN - 1120-6721
SN - 1724-6016
ER -