title: Five-year follow-up results of photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 5-year efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two eyes of 36 patients with PCV followed up for at least 60 months after PDT were reviewed. All eyes were primarily treated with PDT. Main outcome measure was best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; logMAR [logarithm of minimal angle of resolution]) at baseline and at each follow-up visit. We also classified the eyes into 3 groups: improved (improvement ≥0.3 logMAR), decreased (deterioration ≥0.3 logMAR), and stable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the mean follow-up duration, 73.64 ± 13.47 months, the mean number of PDT was 2.21 ± 1.62 treatments. Recurrence was noted in 33 eyes (78.6%) during follow-up. The mean baseline BCVA was 0.78 ± 0.48 logMAR (20/120 Snellen equivalent), and the final BCVA at 60 months was 0.67 ± 0.52 logMAR (20/93 Snellen equivalent) (P = .050, paired t test). On the final evaluation at 60 months, the mean BCVA was improved in 14 eyes (33.3%), stable in 23 eyes (54.8%), and decreased in 5 eyes (11.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At 60 months after initial PDT, 88.1% of PCV patients showed stable or improved BCVA after PDT. Despite a high recurrence rate, PDT remained effective for 5 years, and represents a good therapeutic approach to PCV.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yong Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyoung Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin; D007208:Indocyanine Green