Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine the functional effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) of patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathologic myopia (PM). Methods: Patients with subfoveal CNV due to PM who underwent PDT with verteporfin were recruited for this study. All patients were controlled prospectively for a minimal follow–up of 12 months. Patients were re–treated every three months if they had experienced visual deterioration and if angiographic examination demonstrated an active leaking CNV. Follow–up visits were scheduled every three months after each PDT treatment. At each follow–up visit, all patients underwent ETDRS visual acuity, binocular ophthalmoscopy, digital fluorescein and ICG angiography and stereo color fundus photography. To assess treatment effects we have analyzed the visual acuity changes during follow–up. Results: Seventy–five patients (23 men; 52 women) aged from 32 –90 years (mean 64 ± 15 years) were included into this study. Follow–up ranged between 12 and 36 months (18 ± 6 months). A total of 127 PDT treatment sessions were performed during the study. At baseline, visual acuity ranged form 20/125 to 20/40. During follow–up 21 patients (28%) experienced a moderate visual loss (>3 ETDRS lines). Thirty–three (44%) patients had stable vision and 21 patients (28%) gained at least three ETDRS lines visual acuity. At the last follow–up visual acuity ranged from 20/200 to 20/25. Complications included back pain (three patients), acute severe visual loss (one patient), and one case of syncope within 10 hours after PDT treatment. Conclusions: In patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to PM PDT resulted in improvement or stabilization of visual acuity in 72% of cases within 12 months. Remarkable, 28% of patients experienced a visual improvement during follow–up. Adverse events were observed in 6% of patients. Our results compare amiable with the results of previous controlled studies.
Keywords: photodynamic therapy • myopia • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials