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Retinal pigment epithelium tears following verteporfin therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone
Stephan Michels1, Arne Aue, Christian Simader
1Universitätsklinik für Augenheilkunde und Optometrie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Wien/Vienna, Osterreich/Austria. stephan.michels@meduniwien.ac.at
Purpose:
To detect patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who experience retinal pigment epithelium tears after initial verteporfin therapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone during early follow-up.
Design:
Prospective interventional case series.
Methods:
Forty-five consecutive patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in AMD were treated with verteporfin therapy combined with 4 mg of intravitreal triamcinolone. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), visual acuity, and fluorescein angiography were performed.
Results:
Two eyes with a predominantly classic CNV developed a retinal pigment epithelium tear. An early onset tear could be differentiated from a delayed onset tear. OCT showed an increased depth signal in areas of missing retinal pigment epithelium and a wavy, contracted, and elevated retinal pigment epithelium band.
Conclusions:
Retinal pigment epithelium tears can occur despite adding intravitreal triamcinolone to verteporfin therapy. OCT shows characteristic changes in the evolution of retinal pigment epithelium tears after combination therapy.
