Low-power transpupillary thermotherapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for subfoveal choroidal...

To examine transpupillary thermotherapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone for treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization.

The clinical interventional, noncomparative, case series study included 14 patients (14 eyes) with choroidal neovascularization (age-related macular degeneration, n = 11; high myopia, n = 2; unknown reason, n = 1), who underwent transpupillary thermotherapy (75-150 mW, 60 s, 500-3,000 microm), followed by an intravitreal triamcinolone injection (10 mg). Follow-up was at least 6 months.

Visual acuity increased by 3 lines in 3 (21%) eyes at 3 months, and in 3 (21%) eyes at 6 months of follow-up. None of the patients experienced a visual acuity loss of 3 or more lines. At the 6-month follow-up, mean visual acuity was improved by 1.36 +/- 1.16 lines. Retreatment by transpupillary thermotherapy was performed for 3 (21%) eyes at 3 months, and for 1 (7%) eye at 6 months of follow-up.

Transpupillary thermotherapy combined with intravitreal triamcinolone may be a therapeutic option for choroidal neovascularization particularly if other treatment modalities are not available.