Changes in visual function and thickness of macula after photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the correlation between the changes in the central retinal sensitivity and the changes in the foveal thickness (FT) after photodynamic therapy (PDT) for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).


METHODS
Nineteen eyes of 19 patients with choroidal neovasularizations (CNVs) secondary to AMD were studied. The pretreatment values of the central retinal sensitivity determined by Micro Perimeter 1 (MP1; Nidek Technologies), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-determined FT were compared to the postoperative values at three and six months after PDT.


RESULTS
At six months, the retinal sensitivity within the central 10 degrees was significantly improved (P = 0.02) and the FT was significantly thinner (P = 0.016). The BCVA, however, did not change significantly (P = 0.80). The changes in the retinal sensitivities were significantly correlated with the changes in the decrease in the FT (r = - 0.59, P = 0.012 within the central 10 degrees ) at six months after PDT.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant improvements in retinal sensitivities within the central 10 degrees and a decrease in FT were observed even though the BCVA was not significantly improved. The measurement of retinal sensitivity by MP1 may be a better method to assess central visual function than the conventional visual acuity after PDT.
Okada
Kyoko
K
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
Kubota-Taniai
Mariko
M
Kitahashi
Masayasu
M
Baba
Takayuki
T
Mitamura
Yoshinori
Y
Yamamoto
Shuichi
S