Abstract
Purpose: :
This case series provides angiographic evidence as to the efficacy of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) in the treatment of occult subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVM) secondary to age related macular degeneration.
Methods: :
Data on 20 eyes of 20 consecutive patients was collected by retrospective case note review. All patients were treated with a modified diode laser (810nm). No patients had received previous macular laser treatment. Outcomes were assessed by pre– and post–treatment fluoroscein angiography (FA), Snellen visual acuity (VA) and patients’ subjective impression. The average period of follow–up was ten months (1–27).
Results: :
FA showed closure of the CNVM in 9 patients (45%). In 9 others there was partial resolution; 2 cases remained unchanged. VA improved or stabilised in 11 patients (55%). In 5 others VA had diminished by two or three Snellen lines; 1 case lost more than 3 lines. 18 patients (90%) reported the quality of vision in the affected eye as improved or unchanged. There were no complications of treatment.
Conclusions: :
This study supports the use of TTT as a safe, useful and cost–effective treatment for occult CNVM, comparing very favourably with the natural history of the disease. Assessment of all patients by post–treatment FA has provided objective and accurate evidence of treatment efficacy lacking in previously published series which have sought to determine outcome by clinical examination alone.
Keywords: choroid: neovascularization • age-related macular degeneration