Abstract
Purpose: :
Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is predominantly common in non-Caucasian populations and the efficacy of the present treatment is supposed to be different between races. The study was performed to assess the efficacy of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (TA) for PCV in Japanese.
Methods: :
Retrospective consecutive case series performed at Kagoshima University hospital. The patients with PCV who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled from September, 2003 to May, 2008. All patients underwent the complete ophthalmologic examination, including fluorescein angiography (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Intravitreal TA (4 mg) was injected into 15 eyes of 15 Japanese patients (11 males and 4 females) with PCV. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), the change in the polypoidal vessels on ICGA and the leakage from the PCV on FA were evaluated before and 3 months after injection. The BCVA obtained by Landort ring tests was converted into the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) VA, with a change of more than 0.2 in logMAR VA considered to be significant. The disappearance of the largest polypoidal vessel in ICGA was defined as disappearance of polypoidal vessel. Leakage from the PCV was assessed from expansion of hyperfluorescence in late frames of the FA. These changes were evaluated by the masked examiners and that decrease or increase of leakage on FA was defined as improved or worse, respectively.
Results: :
BCVA improved in 4 eyes (27%), maintained in 10 eyes (67%), and deteriorated in 1 eye (7%), respectively. Disappearance of polypoidal vessel was observed in 4 eyes (27%) and it was not in other eyes (73%). FA leakage study showed that the activity of polypoidal vessels was improved in 5 eyes (33%), stable in 9 eyes (60%) and worse in 1 eye, (7%) respectively. No adverse events such as endophthalmitis or uncontrollable intraocular pressure rise were noted.
Conclusions: :
Intravitreal TA might be an effective treatment for PCV of Japanese at least for a short period.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • choroid: neovascularization • retina