[Transpupillary thermotherapy and age-related macular degeneration]

Transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) has been proposed over the last a few years for the treatment of subfoveal occult choroidal neovessels resulting from age-related degeneration (AMD) when they are symptomatic and associated with exudation. Several pilot studies have shown how this technique can decrease or slow down the progression of exudation related to choroidal neovessels. Based on these pilot studies, a randomized study (TTT4CNV) is in progress to evaluate the efficacy of TTT. While the inclusion of the patients in this study has come to an end, the therapeutic context of AMD has recently been changed with a permit to market Visudyn for photodynamic therapy (PDT) for some types of subfoveal occult choroidal neovessels. Moreover, the clinical studies in progress on photodynamic therapy and antiangiogenic drugs now make it possible to consider combined treatments possibly including TTT. This paper aims to provide a report on the current place and potential of TTT within the therapeutics available or soon available for subfoveal occult choroidal neovessels of AMD.