title: Effects of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for the treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy: An uncontrolled, open-label, observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Central serous chorioretinopathy is an idiopathic disorder that leads to serous neurosensory retinal detachment. The disorder is usually self-limited and resolves spontaneously; however, sometimes neurosensory retinal detachment persists. This form of the disorder is called chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CCSC).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on visual acuity with full-dose verteporfin for CCSC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The eyes of patients with CCSC were included in the study. Ophthalmic examination including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography was performed before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. PDT with full-dose verteporfin (6 μ/m(2) of body surface area) was applied only to areas of active leakage. BCVA was converted to a log of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) equivalent for statistical analysis. Central foveal thickness and BCVA between baseline and follow-up were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen eyes of 16 patients (13 males, 3 females; mean [SD] age, 39.75 [7.51] years; mean duration of follow-up, 13.06 [1.82] months) were used in the study. The mean (SEM) logMAR BCVA was 0.26 (0.07) at baseline and 0.04 (0.02) at 12 months. Mean logMAR BCVA values at baseline (0.259) and after treatment (0.112, 0.053, 0.047, 0.041, and 0.041 at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively) differed significantly (P = 0.006, P = 0.005, P = 0.005, P = 0.005, and P = 0.005). There was a significant difference in the mean central foveal thickness at the final visit (169 μm) compared with the baseline value (383 μm; P < 0.001). BCVA decreased in one eye (20/20 vs 20/25) and persisted during follow-up; in the other 16 eyes, BCVA either increased (n = 10) or remained stable (n = 6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this small, open-label study, patients with CCSC treated with a single course of PDT with full-dose verteporfin had significant improvement from baseline in BCVA and resolution of subretinal fluid accumulation and active leakage. Treatment was generally well tolerated, but one patient had worsening in BCVA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yildirim Bayezit
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sakalar
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keklikci
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kaan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Fuat
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Alakus
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Duzce University Faculty of Medicine, Duzce, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail Hamdi
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Kara
keywords: central serous chorioretinopathy; optical coherence tomography; photodynamic therapy; verteporfin