title: Subfoveal retinal and choroidal thickness after verteporfin photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the morphologic retinal and choroidal changes after verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) with and without ranibizumab for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, comparative series.
  
  
  METHODS
  The enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography technique was used in this retrospective, comparative series to measure the subfoveal retinal and choroidal thicknesses before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were examined retrospectively. Sixteen eyes were treated with PDT monotherapy (PDT group). Eleven eyes were treated with PDT after intravitreal ranibizumab injection (ranibizumab plus PDT group). The polypoidal lesions regressed in all cases at 3 months. The mean retinal thickness, including the retinal detachment, increased from 401 ± 157 μm before treatment to 506 ± 182 μm 2 days after PDT (P<.001) and decreased to 365 ± 116 μm by 1 week after treatment (P=.03) and 265 ± 127 μm by 6 months after treatment (P<.001). The mean choroidal thickness increased from 269 ± 107 μm before treatment to 336 ± 96 μm 2 days after PDT treatment (P < .001 compared with baseline) and decreased to 262 ± 96 μm by 1 week after treatment (P=.24) and 229 ± 104 μm by 6 months (P<.001). Although the choroidal thickness showed a similar trend with both therapies, the retinal thickness in the ranibizumab plus PDT group remained thinner than that in the PDT group until 6 months after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDT was associated with decreased retinal and choroidal thicknesses. Combination therapy reduced the transient exudation after PDT in some cases, and monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections maintained retinal thinning and seemed to improve vision better than PDT monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Japan. imaruko@fmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maruko
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugano
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Tetsuju
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sekiryu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin; D000069579:Ranibizumab