Abstract
Purpose: :
To study vascular changes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) after photodynamic therapy (PDT) using indocyanine green (ICG) angiography.
Methods: :
A prospective clinical and angiographic study was done in 20 eyes of 20 consecutive patients with PCV treated with PDT. ICG and fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed at baseline, 1 week and 3 months after the first PDT.
Results: :
In all 20 eyes, ICG angiography demonstrated branching vascular networks with polypoidal dilations at terminals of the network at initial examination. In all 20 eyes (100%), both polypoidal vascular lesions and vascular networks completely regressed in ICG angiography at 1 week after PDT. At 3 months after PDT, polypoidal vascular lesions recurred in 8 of 20 eyes (40%), while vascular networks, in all 20 eyes (100%). Choroidal neovascularization newly developed on fluorescein and ICG angiography in 2 eyes (10%) at 3 months. In 9 of the 20 eyes (45%), the serosanguineous detachment of the neurosensory retina and/or pigment epithelium persisted at 3 months.
Conclusions: :
Both polypoidal vascular lesions and vascular networks regress immediately after PDT. However, these vascular abnormalities, especially vascular networks, frequently recur at 3 months.
Keywords: photodynamic therapy