[Photodynamic therapy in age-related macular degeneration: one-year results]

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization(CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration(AMD) one year after PDT.

Patients and methods: 106 eyes of 106 AMD patients with subfoveal CNV detected by fluorescein angiography (FA). Best-corrected visual acuity, color fundus photography, FA and indocyanine green angiography were performed before and 1 year after treatment. Visual acuity and CNV size before PDT were compared with those 1 year after treatment. Pre-PDT factors predicting a visual acuity of 0.4 or more 1 year after this treatment were evaluated.

Results: Visual acuity improved or was maintained in 84 of the 106 eyes. The size of CNV decreased significantly (p < 0.001). A visual acuity of 0.4 or more 1 year after PDT was predicted by an acuity of 0.4 or more (p = 0.01) and occult with no classic CNV (p = 0.04) prior to PDT.

Conclusions: PDT is effective for maintaining or improving visual acuity and obliteration of CNV for 1 year or longer. Factors predicting a visual acuity of 0.4 or more 1 year after PDT were an acuity of 0.4 or more and occult with no classic CNV prior to PDT.