Triple therapy of intravitreal triamcinolone, photodynamic therapy, and pegaptanib sodium for choroidal neovascularization.
OBJECTIVE
To report the six-month results of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization that had been treated with combined therapy of high-dose intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (HDIVTA), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and pegaptanib sodium injection.


METHODS
Retrospective, interventional case series study.


METHODS
Medical files of 16 patients with this treatment were reviewed (22 eyes); 13 eyes had had previous treatment with HDIVTA and PDT; nine eyes were newly diagnosed choroidal neovascularization. Patients were treated with an injection of HDIVTA (10 mg), followed by PDT and pegabtanib sodium injection at two-week intervals. The main outcome variables were visual acuity (VA) and macular thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT).


RESULTS
The mean VA improved 2.2 lines (P = .013 in the new treatment group); the previous treatment group (HDIVTA + PDT) improved only 0.7 lines (P = 0.55, Wilcoxon ranked test). The mean of macular thickness before and after treatment was statistically significant in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This combination therapy showed improvement and/or stabilization in VA, particularly when used as first-line therapy.
Liggett
Peter E
PE
New England Retina Research and Education Foundation, Hamden, Connecticut; Yale Eye Center, New Haven, Connecticut 06518, USA.
Colina
Juner
J
Chaudhry
Nauman A
NA
Tom
David
D
Haffner
Gregory
G
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000077362:Verteporfin; C495058:pegaptanib; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide