Related Experiment Videos
[Frequency of recurrence after Verteporfin photodynamic therapy in AMD]
1Clinique d'Ophtalmologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires Genevois, Genève, Suisse.
Introduction:
Photodynamic treatment (PDT) with verteporfin is used to treat choroidal subfoveal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, the impact of recurrence after PDT on functional results has not been assessed, although it was previously shown to be higher than 50% after thermal laser treatment for juxtafoveal lesions, and visual prognosis was dramatically worsened by recurrence of choroidal neovascularization.
Method:
Sixty-nine consecutive patients treated with PDT for CNV in AMD were followed every 3 months for up to 3 years.
Results:
The observed recurrence rate was 17.4%. Recurrence was not associated with a decrease in visual acuity The average number of treatments was 3.0, increasing to 4.9 in case of recurrence.
Conclusion:
The recurrence rate is significantly lower after PDT than after thermal laser. It does not have a negative impact on functional outcome.