title: Brachytherapy--optional treatment for choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) presents the main cause of irreversible loss of central vision in older population, due to a progressive neuroretinal damage and damage of retinal pigment epithelium of foveal area. This observation emphasizes the insufficiency of all presently used therapeutic procedures. Therefore, investigation has been conducted at the University Eye Clinic Zagreb for the last three years testing the effects of brachytherapy with direct episcleral application of ruthenium applicators to the posterior pole of the globe. Forty-two patients aged 58-79 were followed for a min. of 12 months. During this period their central visual acuities remained stable. Six patients showed one-line improvement of visual acuity and 8 patients showed no changes. Twenty-one patient lost 1-2 lines of visual acuity and 7 patients lost more than 2 lines. According to this we can conclude that patients treated with brachytherapy showed significantly better results compared to the control subjects, which is very encouraging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarić
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sikić
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katusić
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vukojević
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012429:Ruthenium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D012429:Ruthenium Radioisotopes