title: Long-Term Results of Photodynamic Therapy for Choroidal Neovascularization in Pediatric Patients with Best Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report long-term results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in young patients affected by Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (VMD) complicated by choroidal neovascularization (CNV).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated a group of 30 VMD patients with confirmed mutations in the BEST1 gene. Five of these patients had been diagnosed with CNV when younger than 15 years of age and three of them were treated by PDT. After the treatment they were followed for an average period of 77 months (range 62-99).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all the treated eyes visual acuity was stable during the first year of follow-up and then slowly improved even some years after the treatment. The improvement in visual acuity was associated with the development of fibrous tissue in the macula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDT was a safe procedure in our series of pediatric patients with VMD complicated by CNV. It was followed by a CNV regression and a consequent improvement in visual acuity which continued to progress even several years after the treatment.
authors: Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, Eye Clinic, University of Florence , Italy .
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Sodi
authors: Vittoria
authors: V
authors: Murro
authors: Orsola
authors: O
authors: Caporossi
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Passerini
authors: Giacomo Maria
authors: GM
authors: Bacci
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Caputo
authors: Ugo
authors: U
authors: Menchini
mesh_terms: D000075002:Bestrophins; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000235:genetics; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057826:Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C113133:BEST1 protein, human; D000075002:Bestrophins; D018118:Chloride Channels; D005136:Eye Proteins; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin
keywords: Best vitelliform macular dystrophy; choroidal neovascularization; photodynamic therapy