title: Photothrombosis of corneal neovascularization by photodynamic therapy utilizing verteporfin and diode laser.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of experimental corneal neovascularization (NV) with benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  One group was considered as control (n=6 eyes) then, corneal NV was induced in 30 New Zealand male rabbits (n=60 eyes) by placing 7.0 silk sutures at midstromal depth approximately1mm from the limbus. Fifteen rabbits with corneal NV were left without any treatment, and 15 rabbits were subjected to photodynamic therapy (PDT) by intravenous injection with Verteporfin at a dose of 1.5 mg /Kg. Diode laser (660 nm) was applied after 15 minutes for 5 minutes with a power of 50 mW/cm2. All rabbits were successively followed up by slit lamp examination for periods of 1 day, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. Three rabbits were selected and sacrificed weekly (n=6 eyes each) and the corneas were isolated for histopathological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of slit lamp examination indicated the gradual regression of the cornea neovascularization 4 weeks of PDT. Furthermore, regression of corneal neovascularization was documented clinically by decrease number and length of blood vessels and by histopathological examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDT with Verteporfin can provide efficacious treatment of corneal neovascularization.
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Department, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Aziza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed Hassan
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Department, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Foad Ghoneim
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Department, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdelraheem El-Dib
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision Science, Biophysics and Laser Science Unit, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Salwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdelkawi Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmic Department, National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed Medhat
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdel-Salam
keywords: corneal neovascularizations; diode laser; photodynamic therapy