Influence of photodynamic therapy for age related macular degeneration upon subjective vision related quality of life.
BACKGROUND
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used in the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study prospectively investigated patients' subjective change in visual function following PDT as treatment for AMD.


METHODS
Eighty-two consecutive patients receiving PDT in Tasmania, Australia, between May and November 2003 were recruited. In conjunction with a comprehensive clinical examination, the Visual Function-14 (VF-14) questionnaire was administered. Final follow-up occurred between February and March 2005. The VF-14 was scored by traditional summary scoring and by Rasch analysis.


RESULTS
Five of the 82 (6.1%) subjects recruited were excluded from analysis. PDT was performed on average 5.7+/-2.6 times per patient. Raw VF-14 scores tended towards being significantly lower at follow-up than at baseline (67.6+/-27.2 against 64.5+/-27.7; P=0.052), and did significantly deteriorate using a collapsed Rasch analysis (P=0.0102). Following treatment, 38 (47.5%) eyes had lost three or more Snellen lines of best-corrected visual acuity.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients undergoing PDT typically report reasonable visual function. In parallel with visual acuity, self-reported visual function may deteriorate slightly after PDT for AMD, but not as much as reported in untreated AMD.
Hewitt
Alex W
AW
Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Hobart Hospital, 7000, Tasmania, Australia. hewitt.alex@gmail.com
Jeganathan
V Swetha
VS
Kidd
Juanita E
JE
Pesudovs
Konrad
K
Verma
Nitin
N
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*
D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin