Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and photodynamic therapy with verteporfin.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated, in a nonrandomised, institutional, prospective study, the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and subfoveal exudation. METHODS: A prospective clinical and angiographic study was done in 40 consecutive eyes with PCV treated with PDT using masked best-corrected visual acuity (VA) and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiographic features at baseline and over 2 years. RESULTS: Twenty-one eyes completed 1-year follow-up and showed, after a mean 2.9 PDT sessions, VA improvement in 12 eyes, no change in five eyes, and VA decrease in four eyes. Leakage was absent at the retinal and choroidal level in 14 eyes at 1 year. Recurrence occurred in one eye during the first year. Six eyes completed 2 years of follow-up and showed, after a mean 4 PDT sessions, VA improvement in five eyes and VA decrease in one eye. Leakage was absent at the retinal and choroidal level in five eyes. Recurrence occurred in four of these six eyes during the second year of follow-up. No serious adverse events were observed during the 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: PDT with verteporfin was shown to be safe and effective for treating AMD eyes with PCV with subfoveal involvement. VA improvement and absence of leakage were achieved, respectively, in 57.1% and 66.6% of the eyes at 1 year. Recurrences were more frequent during the second year of follow-up.

Stabilization of visual acuity with photodynamic therapy in eyes with chorioretinal anastomoses.

PURPOSE: (1) To evaluate, in a non-randomized, institutional, prospective study, the efficacy of photodynamic therapy with Visudyne (PDT) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) eyes with chorioretinal anastomoses (CRA). (2) To review, in a retrospective study and for comparison, the natural evolution of neovascular AMD eyes with CRA. METHODS: Prospective clinical and angiographic study of 17 consecutive eyes with CRA, treated with PDT. Retrospective clinical and angiographic study of the natural course of 17 consecutive patients with CRA. Masked best-corrected visual acuity (VA) and angiographic features at baseline and during the period of one year were evaluated. RESULTS: The two groups presented similar characteristics at baseline regarding age, sex, initial VA, duration of follow-up and angiographic features. PDT-treated eyes showed, at 1-year follow-up, VA stabilization or improvement in 73.3% of the eyes, no cases with very severe VA loss, and no fluorescein leakage in 46.6% of the eyes. In contrast, at 1-year follow-up the natural evolution of CRA was characterized by severe or very severe VA loss in 69% of the eyes and statistically significant mean VA loss (P=0.001) with persistence of fluorescein leakage in all cases. CONCLUSION: The natural history of AMD eyes with CRA leads to progressive and dramatic VA loss, which is associated with blindness in most of the cases. PDT with verteporfin can offer some benefit to these patients, allowing VA stabilization or improvement in more than two thirds of the cases, at one year.