title: Photodynamic treatment versus photodynamic treatment associated with systemic steroids for idiopathic choroidal neovascularisation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare photodynamic therapy (PDT) with PDT associated with systemic steroids (SS) for the control of juxta/subfoveal idiopathic choroidal neovascularisation (ICNV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with juxta/subfoveal ICNV were randomised and then treated. Visual gain and loss were defined as improvement in or worsening for two or more lines of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), respectively. Choroidal neovascularisation size after treatment was classified as "increased" and "reduced" if it was increased or reduced by >200 microm(2), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  10 patients were treated with PDT, 10 with SS followed by PDT. The median follow-up time was 22 and 21 months for the "steroid+PDT group" and the "PDT group", respectively. At 1 year, in the PDT group, five patients had stable/improved BCVA, and five became worse; the mean number of PDT was 2.3; in the steroid+PDT group, all patients were stable/improved and the mean number of PDT was 1.2. The difference between the two groups was significant (p<0.05). At 1 year, the ICNV size after treatment was better in the steroid+PDT group than in the PDT group (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of SS before PDT has shown better BCVA outcome than PDT alone (p<0.05), reducing the mean number of PDT applications (1.2 vs 2.3, respectively), with smaller scar size.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Department, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.forename: Piergiorgio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mercanti
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruè
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D011239:Prednisolone