Therapeutic effect of diode laser photodynamic therapy with ICG dye in ARMD: a case report

To evaluate the diode laser photodynamic therapy efficacy on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the treatment of three patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).

The authors selected three patients with ARMD whose vision has decreased due to CNV, and applied diode laser treatment after injecting an indocyanine green (ICG) solution. The patients were followed for at least three months after treatment, and examinations included evaluating vision changes and possible leakage on fluorescein angiography (FAG).

The final vision of two patients improved by more than one line on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart after at least three months of follow-up. However, the final vision of the third patient decreased by one line on ETDRS chart. FAG was done in all patients, and in two of the patients, there was no evidence of leakage at the laser-applied site. In the other patient, there was evidence of minimal leakage, with the area of leakage decreasing by more than fifty percent. Side effects of ICG were not found during or after the photodynamic therapy sessions.

The photodynamic usage of ICG treatment of CNV in patients with ARMD, was effective in preventing or improving the visual outcome. Compared to the widely used verteporfin, ICG is more stable and is more cost effective. The authors therefore came to a conclusion that ICG can be very useful in the treatment of CNV. However, further studies are necessary.