Background/aims To compare the short-term efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept treatment according to the subtypes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) based on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA).

Methods Twenty-nine patients (29 eyes) with treatment-naïve subfoveal PCV were consecutively enrolled in this institutional study. The subjects were classified into two subtypes (type 1, polypoidal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV), 16 eyes; and type 2, idiopathic PCV, 13 eyes) based on the presence or absence of both feeder and draining vessels on ICGA. Intravitreal aflibercept was administered at baseline and at 1, 2 and 4 months. The primary outcome was the polyp regression percentage after 3 monthly injections. Changes in the best-corrected visual acuity and subfoveal choroidal thickness (CT) were evaluated at 3 and 6 months.

Results The complete polyp regression percentage was higher in type 1 than type 2 patients after 3 monthly injections (81% vs 30%, p=0.008). Type 1 patients showed better visual improvement at 3 months (−0.34 vs −0.08 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), p=0.050) and 6 months (−0.30 vs −0.10 logMAR, p=0.168) than type 2 patients. Although subfoveal CT was significantly decreased after injections in both groups, type 2 patients with a thicker choroid at baseline showed a greater decrease than type 1 patients (p=0.032).

Conclusions There was a difference in early treatment response with aflibercept between two subtypes of PCV. Type 1 polypoidal CNV showed better visual improvement with a higher percentage of polyp regression than type 2 idiopathic PCV.

Trial registration number NCT02597855, Results.