title: Retinal pigment epithelium tears following verteporfin therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who experience retinal pigment epithelium tears after initial verteporfin therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone during early follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five consecutive patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in AMD were treated with verteporfin therapy combined with 4 mg of intravitreal triamcinolone. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual acuity, and fluorescein angiography were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two eyes with a predominantly classic CNV developed a retinal pigment epithelium tear. An early onset tear could be differentiated from a delayed onset tear. OCT showed an increased depth signal in areas of missing retinal pigment epithelium and a wavy, contracted, and elevated retinal pigment epithelium band.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retinal pigment epithelium tears can occur despite adding intravitreal triamcinolone to verteporfin therapy. OCT shows characteristic changes in the evolution of retinal pigment epithelium tears after combination therapy.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Augenheilkunde und Optometrie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Wien/Vienna, Osterreich/Austria. stephan.michels@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aue
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simader
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Geitzenauer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sacu
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Erfurth
mesh_terms: D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000139:chemically induced*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide