title: Long-term results of photodynamic therapy for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization with pathologic myopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to determine the long-term visual and anatomic outcomes of photodynamic therapy in patients affected with choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 43 eyes of 43 patients. Patients with pathologic myopia were included if they had received photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization involving the center of the avascular foveal zone and if they had a follow-up of at least 5 years. We included only the cases for which both of the examiners of the FAs were in agreement concerning the subfoveal localization of choroidal neovascularization. Patients treated with other therapies such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or steroids in the study eye were excluded. Visual acuity was measured using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts. Anatomic outcome measures were the lesion size expressed as the greatest linear diameter and the chorioretinal atrophy that developed around the regressed choroidal neovascularization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average visual acuity was stable during the first year, tended to be worse at 2 years, whereas it was significantly worse at 3 years and afterward, reaching a loss of nearly 3 lines at 7 years. We found that neither the number of photodynamic therapy treatments nor baseline photodynamic therapy spot size influenced change of visual acuity during follow-up. Chorioretinal atrophy around choroidal neovascularization was detected in 83% of patients at the 5-year follow-up visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that visual acuity decreased significantly after a long follow-up period mainly because of the development of chorioretinal atrophy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialistic Surgical Sciences, Eye Clinic, University of Florence, Italy. fabrizio.giansanti@unifi.it
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giansanti
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virgili
authors.forename: Maria Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giuntoli
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pieretti
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abbruzzese
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Menchini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin