Two-year results of reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy
Ayana Yamashita1, Fumio Shiraga, Chieko Shiragami
1Department of Ophthalmology, Kagawa University Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa, Japan.
Purpose:
To report the results of a 2-year follow-up study of Japanese polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients treated with reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) monotherapy.
Design:
Prospective interventional case series.
Methods:
In the present study, 38 eyes of 38 consecutive patients underwent PDT with a reduced laser fluence of 25 J/cm(2). During the 2-year follow-up, visual acuity (VA) and optical coherence tomography measurements were performed every 3 months after the PDT procedure and then compared with baseline values. PCV vascular lesions were evaluated by indocyanine green and fluorescein angiography.
Results:
At baseline, the mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) best-corrected VA (BCVA) was 0.43. There was a significant improvement of the mean logMAR BCVA to 0.28 and 0.29 at 12 and 24 months, respectively (P < .0001, P = .001). The logMAR BCVA was stable or improved by ≥0.3 in 36 (95%) of the eyes at the 2-year follow-up. In 13 eyes in which the baseline VA was better than 20/40, there was a significant improvement of the mean logMAR BCVA at 12 months, with the acuities continuing to be stable at 24 months. The mean number of treatment sessions during the 24-month study period was 1.9.
Conclusions:
Reduced-fluence PDT monotherapy for PCV effectively improved and maintained the VA over a 24-month period, even in eyes with a baseline VA better than 20/40. In addition, the number of treatments could be much smaller as compared with intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents.
