[Photodynamic therapy in classic chorioidal neovascularisation in patients with angioid streaks]

The development of subfoveal or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to angioid streaks poses a great therapeutic challenge. The relevance of the photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin is still unclear. We present the functional and anatomic outcome of 5 patients with CNV due to angioid streaks treated by PDT.

We reviewed 4 eyes with subfoveal and 1 eye with juxtafoveal CNV in angioid streaks of 5 patients (4 male, 1 female) treated by PDT between 2000 and 2005. The age ranged from 20 to 74 years (median 63 years). PDT was performed according to the TAP criteria. Best corrected visual acuity was measured using ETDRS charts.

Visual acuity (VA) ranged between 20/63 and 20/32 (median 20/32) at first presentation and between 20/2000 (counting fingers) and 20/20 (median 20/400) at last presentation. Median follow-up time was 13 months with a range of 5 to 45 months. The visual acuity in one patient decreased by 1 line, in 3 patients by more than 6 lines whereas VA of one patient (juxtafoveal CNV) increased by 2 lines. PDT was repeated in 4 patients once because of persistent leakage and in one patient twice. At the end of the follow-up period a fibrous disciform lesion was seen in 4 patients, in one patient subfoveal membranectomy was performed due to a recurrence.

In general, PDT of CNV is less favourable in angioid streaks than in AMD. However, in the natural course final VA is counting fingers. Therefore the good results of individual cases justify the PDT under a critical indication.