title: Comparison between anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy and photodynamic therapy for myopic choroidal neovascularization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy versus photodynamic therapy (PDT) for myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a retrospective interventional study. Forty-two eyes from 42 patients with mCNV (36 subfoveal, 4 juxtafoveal, and 2 extrafoveal) treated and followed up for more than 6 months were included. Twenty eyes from 20 patients were treated by PDT (PDT group) at 1.5 ± 0.9 months after the symptoms and 22 eyes from 22 patients were treated by anti-VEGF therapy (anti-VEGF group) at 0.9 ± 0.8 months after the symptoms. Photodynamic therapy was performed, followed up, and retreated by standard procedures. Anti-VEGF therapy was repeated as needed. Gender, age, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), greatest linear dimension (GLD), central retinal thickness (CRT), and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness at the fovea were then compared between the anti-VEGF and PDT groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were detected in baseline parameters between the anti-VEGF and PDT groups. The mean BCVA (logMAR) at month 3 and 6 after the initial treatment was improved (-0.30 and -0.29) from baseline in the anti-VEGF group, which was statistically significant (p=0.0048 and 0.021, respectively). In the PDT group, modest improvements were observed in the mean BCVA at the same time periods (-0.05 and -0.10) with no statistical significance (p=0.79 and 0.90, respectively). The mean CRT was significantly reduced from baseline to month 6 in the anti-VEGF and PDT groups. The ONL thickness was significantly reduced in both groups, although the magnitude was significantly greater in the PDT group than the anti-VEGF group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with anti-VEGF therapy had significantly better visual outcomes than PDT for mCNV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Misa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Matsumiya
authors.forename: Sentaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kusuhara
authors.forename: Yasutomo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsukahara
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Negi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D004396:Coloring Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000077362:Verteporfin; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D000069579:Ranibizumab