Photodynamic therapy in subfoveal and juxtafoveal idiopathic and postinflammatory choroidal neovascularization.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of idiopathic and inflammatory choroidal neovascularization (CNV).


METHODS
This study represents a non-randomized, multicentre, interventional case series. Sixteen eyes of 16 patients with classic or predominantly classic sub- and juxtafoveal idiopathic CNV and 26 eyes of 24 patients with classic or predominantly classic sub- and juxtafoveal CNV secondary to inflammatory conditions were treated with PDT with verteporfin. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after PDT, the number of lines gained or lost and the number of PDT sessions were analysed.


RESULTS
The mean follow-up periods were 20 months (SD 11) and 16 months (SD 9) for the idiopathic and inflammatory groups, respectively. The mean BCVA in idiopathic CNV changed from 0.63 logMAR (SD 0.37) before treatment to 0.82 logMAR (SD 0.43) after treatment (p = 0.16; Student's t-test paired data). The number of treatments performed averaged 2.1 (range 1-4, SD 0.9). The mean BCVA in postinflammatory CNV changed from 0.60 logMAR (SD 0.4) before treatment to 0.57 logMAR (SD 0.6) after treatment (p = 0.79; Student's t-test paired data). The mean number of treatments was 2.6 (range 1-6, SD 1.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin may be useful in stabilizing BCVA in patients with sub- and juxtafoveal postinflammatory CNV and subfoveal idiopathic CNV.
Ruiz-Moreno
José M
JM
Department of Ophthalmology, Miguel Hernandez University School of Medicine, Alicante, Spain. jm.ruiz@umh.es
Montero
Javier A
JA
Arias
Luis
L
Sanabria
Maria R
MR
Coco
Rosa
R
Silva
Rufino
R
Araiz
Javier
J
Gomez-Ulla
Francisco
F
Garcia-Layana
Alfredo
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin