Retinal pigment epithelium changes after photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization in pathological myopia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe changes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT) in eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with pathological myopia (PM).


METHODS
We carried out an open-label, prospective, interventional case series including 26 patients affected by subfoveal CNV in PM who underwent PDT with a 12-month follow-up. Particular attention was paid to the detection of changes at the RPE level in the areas exposed to the laser compared with baseline conditions.


RESULTS
The median age of the patients was 58.5 years and the median duration of symptoms was 2 weeks. A pigmentary zone was present before PDT in 20 eyes (77%), incompletely encircling the CNV in all but two of the 20 eyes. At the end of the follow-up, the CNV in all eyes was seen to be completely or incompletely encircled by a band of hyperpigmentation, which was surrounded by RPE alterations, including depigmentation in all cases and atrophic changes in 14 eyes.


CONCLUSIONS
After PDT, alterations in the RPE develop in myopic eyes. These include accentuation of the pigmentary zone surrounding the CNV and progressive atrophic changes. Further studies are needed to correlate post-PDT RPE damage with longterm visual outcome.
Parodi
Maurizio Battaglia
MB
Eye Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Trieste, Trieste, Italy. maubp@yahoo.it
Da Pozzo
Stefano
S
Ravalico
Giuseppe
G
D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077362:Verteporfin
D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin