Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: to correlate angiographic and visual acuity changes of occult choroidal neovascularization of ARMD after Photodynamic therapy. Methods: 34 eyes of 30 patients with active subfoveal occult neovascularization diagnosed by means of dynamic ICGA (Heidelberg Retinal Angiograph, Ottobrunn, Germany) were enrolled.Mean VA was 20/64(ETDRS). A complete ophthalmic examination and dynamic ICGA were performed at the enrollment and 1, 3 months and at the end of follow–up after PDT.Average duration of follow–up was 15 months. PDT was repeated in case of recurrence at intervals of 3 months . Results: an hypofluorescent spot corresponding to laser treatment was seen in 77% and 68% of cases after 1 and 3 months respectively.At the end of follow–up an hypofluorecent spot was present in 61% of patients. At enrollment, neovascular net was clearly evident in 85% of patient of whom only 24% showed obliteration after PDT at the end of follow–up. Visual Acuity was decreased at the end of follow–up in 50% (14% 1 Snellen line increase, 17% 1 or 2 lines decrease, 17% >3 lines decrease). At all times of follow–up, the absence of hypofluorescent area corresponded to persistence of CNV whereas closure of CNV was recorded in 27%, 9%,10% of spot positive cases after 1 month, 3 months and at the end of the follow–up respectively. At the end of the follow–up, spot positive cases loss was –0.48 lines whereas spot negative was –1.6. Conclusions: the presence of an hypofluorescent area corresponding to PDT laser treatment correlated with disappearance of CNV only in a minority of cases .Moreover, the cases with hypofluorescence following PDT underwent less PDT treatment for recurrence of CNV and showed a less severe visual acuity loss.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • retinal neovascularization