Abstract
Purpose: :
Stereopsis is as important as visual acuity in daily life. We evaluated stereopsis in photodynamic therapy with verteporfin (PDT) as a visual function in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods: :
91 eyes of 91 patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to AMD (21 female: 70 male, mean age: 71.0, predominantly classic CNV 15.4%: minimally classic CNV 39.6%: occult with no classic CNV 45%) underwent PDT. Stereopsis (Titmus, Lang, and TNO stereo tests), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and retinal thickness with OCT were evaluated before and at least 3 month after treatment.
Results: :
BVCA of treated eyes were improved in 23.1% patients (Δ LogMAR ≥ 0.2). Stereopsis were improved in 10 patients (11.0%, 6 minimally classic & 4 occult with no classic CNV). In patients with improved stereopsis, the BCVA of the treated eyes was improved in 8 patients (8 / 10 patients) after treatment and the BCVA in the contralateral eye were better than 20/25. Interestingly, stereopsis improved in 2 patients although the BCVA remained unchanged. The mean GLD (greatest linear dimension) was significantly smaller in patients with improved stereopsis than in unchanged or deteriorated patients (2495 vs. 3376 um, p=0.024).
Conclusions: :
Stereopsis may be useful to evaluate visual function in verteporfin-treated patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD.
Keywords: binocular vision/stereopsis • age-related macular degeneration • photodynamic therapy