Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for age-related macular degeneration or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: comparison of the presence of serous retinal pigment epithelial detachment.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate outcomes after photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin in Japanese patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and compare results with the presence/absence of a retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED).


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 183 eyes with subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation secondary to AMD with more than 3 months' follow-up (range 3 to 36; mean 15.6). A serous PED developed in 44 of 183 eyes.


RESULTS
A total of 124 eyes (67.8%) completed 12 months' follow-up. In 49 eyes with typical AMD, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved a mean of 0.48 line. A significant (p<0.05 to p<0.0005) decline in VA occurred in eyes with a serous PED during any 3-month period. In 75 eyes with PCV, the BCVA at 12 months improved a mean of 1.79 lines. There was no significant difference between the BCVA in 22 eyes with a PED and 53 eyes without a PED during any 3 months.


CONCLUSIONS
In eyes with typical AMD, a serous PED was associated with a significant decline in BCVA compared with eyes without a serous PED. In eyes with PCV, the visual outcomes were unaffected by a serous PED. When PDT is administered, differentiating PCV from typical AMD using indocyanine green angiography is important.
Saito
M
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan. smasaaki@fmu.ac.jp
Iida
T
T
Nagayama
D
D
D000368:Aged; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity
D004396:Coloring Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin; D007208:Indocyanine Green