title: Intravitreal anti-VEGF versus photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for treatment of myopic choroidal neovascularization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare visual outcomes after treatment with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection or photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty-two eyes of 128 consecutive patients treated with anti-VEGF (ranibizumab or bevacizumab) and/or PDT for myopic choroidal neovascularization were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: PDT (51 eyes), anti-VEGF (63 eyes), and a combination group (PDT with anti-VEGF) (28 eyes). Corrected visual acuity values at baseline and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after treatment were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anti-VEGF group showed significant postoperative improvement in visual acuity compared with the PDT and combination groups (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). The anti-VEGF group demonstrated visual improvement from baseline at every follow-up visit after treatment (P = 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, and 0.002, respectively). The anti-VEGF group showed visual improvement (Snellen equivalent) from 0.57 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (0.27) to 0.33 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (0.47) (P = 0.01). Furthermore, 98.4% of patients in the anti-VEGF group and 92.8% of those in the combination group lost <15 letters from baseline visual acuity compared with 72.6% in the PDT group (P = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively). In the anti-VEGF group, 39.7% of patients improved from baseline by 15 or more letters compared with 17.7% in the PDT group (P = 0.02) and 21.4% in the combination group (P = 0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal anti-VEGF injection is superior to PDT alone or a combination of PDT with anti-VEGF for treating myopic choroidal neovascularization.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Uk
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yeo Jue
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: Hyoung Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000077362:Verteporfin; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab