title: Photodynamic therapy of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to reticular pattern dystrophy: three-year results of an uncontrolled, prospective case series.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to reticular pattern dystrophy (RPD) of the retinal pigment epithelium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-label, prospective, interventional case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen eyes diagnosed with subfoveal CNV associated with RPD were considered. Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed at baseline and thereafter at three-month intervals for three years. Primary outcome measure was the number of eyes with <15 letters loss (approximately <3 lines) at 12, 24, and 36 months, compared with baseline. Secondary outcome measures included CNV progression and number of PDT sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven eyes showed a decrease in best-corrected visual acuity of at least three lines at three-year examination. Each eye received a median number of treatments of two, zero, and zero in years one, two, and three, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDT does not appear to guarantee long-term vision stabilization in RPD-related subfoveal CNV, and alternative therapies should be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, Ospedale Maggiore, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Trieste, Italy. maubp@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Maurizio Battaglia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liberali
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedio
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: Felice Cardillo
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Piccolino
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fiotti
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ravalico
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology