[The therapeutic effects of photodynamic therapy on choroidal neovascularization of pathologic myopia]

To investigate the therapeutic effects and safety of photodynamic therapy on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) of pathologic myopia.

Retrospective noncomparative clinical data of 27 cases with CNV complicated from pathologic myopia (32 eyes) and treated with PDT, the parameters including the study were fundus characteristics, fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA), optic coherence tomography (OCT), and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after PDT.

The mean age of 27 patients was 40.5. Five cases in the series were bilateral CNV. 29 eyes were subfoveal CNV and 3 eyes were juxtafoveal CNV. The degree of myopic was from -6D to -12D. At the final follow up, the improvement (increase >or= 2 lines) of BCVA was seen in 4 eyes (12.5%), vision acuity was stabilized (+/- 1 line) in 27 eyes (84.4%) and decreased (>or= 2 lines) in 1 eyes (3.1%). Metamorphopsia disappeared in 29 eyes (90.6%). FFA showed lacquer cracks in 12 eyes. CNV was completely closed in 17 eyes (53.1%), incompletely closed in 6 eyes (18.8% and partial closed in 9 eyes (28.1%) as demonstrated by FFA. The mean number of PDT treatment was 1.3 per eye in 27 cases. No serious local or systemic complications were encountered.

PDT is a safe and effective treatment for patients with CNV of pathologic myopia, it can reduce the risk of moderate and severe vision loss and alleviate the symptoms. PDT may improve the functional visual status of patients with pathologic myopia.