Artificial intelligence-based fluid quantification and associated visual outcomes in a real-world, multicentre neovascular age-related macular degeneration national database

AimTo explore associations between artificial intelligence (AI)-based fluid compartment quantifications and 12 months visual outcomes in OCT images from a real-world, multicentre, national cohort of naive neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated eyes. MethodsDemographics, visual acuity (VA), drug and number of injections data were collected using a validated web-based tool. Fluid compartment quantifications including intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF) and pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in the fovea (1 mm), parafovea (3 mm) and perifovea (6 mm) were measured in nanoliters (nL) using a validated AI-tool. Results452 naive nAMD eyes presented a mean VA gain of +5.5 letters with a median of 7 injections over 12 months. Baseline foveal IRF associated poorer baseline (44.7 vs 63.4 letters) and final VA (52.1 vs 69.1), SRF better final VA (67.1 vs 59.0) and greater VA gains (+7.1 vs +1.9), and PED poorer baseline (48.8 vs 57.3) and final VA (55.1 vs 64.1). Predicted VA gains were greater for foveal SRF (+6.2 vs +0.6), parafoveal SRF (+6.9 vs +1.3), perifoveal SRF (+6.2 vs -0.1) and parafoveal IRF (+7.4 vs +3.6, all p<0.05). Fluid dynamics analysis revealed the greatest relative volume reduction for foveal SRF (-16.4 nL, -86.8%), followed by IRF (-17.2 nL, -84.7%) and PED (-19.1 nL, -28.6%). Subgroup analysis showed greater reductions in eyes with higher number of injections. ConclusionThis real-world study describes an AI-based analysis of fluid dynamics and defines baseline OCT-based patient profiles that associate 12-month visual outcomes in a large cohort of treated naive nAMD eyes nationwide.

Automated summary

This study used artificial intelligence to quantify fluid compartments in OCT images of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and explored their associations with visual outcomes at 12 months. The results showed that the distribution of fluid in the fovea was correlated with baseline and final visual acuity. AI-based fluid dynamics analysis provided baseline characteristics of patients and predicted visual improvements.