Favorable results seen after PDT for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, AMD

Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging. 2009;40(6):576-581.

Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin improved vision in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to a study.

In addition, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) presented at a younger age and was more common in male patients, the study authors said.

"PCV is not uncommon in Taiwanese patients diagnosed as having neovascular AMD ... and these patients have a younger age of onset, male predominance, unilateral involvement and macular polyps," the authors said. "Both PCV and neovascular AMD can achieve favorable visual improvement following PDT with verteporfin."

Investigators reviewed the medical records of 100 patients with neovascular AMD diagnosed with indocyanine green angiography. Patients who had PDT underwent follow-up examinations every 2 months.

Study data showed that 49% of patients were diagnosed with PCV and 51% were diagnosed with neovascular AMD. The PCV group comprised 35 men (71.4%) and the neovascular AMD group comprised 37 men (72.5%).

Seventeen patients with neovascular AMD (33.3%) and four patients with PCV (8.2%) had bilateral disease involvement.

The mean age of disease presentation was 63.6 years in the PCV patients and 69.7 years in the neovascular AMD patients; the difference was statistically significant (P = .002).

Results showed that 20 eyes with PCV and 22 eyes with neovascular AMD underwent one PDT treatment. Visual improvement was seen in 10 eyes with PCV (50%) and 11 eyes with neovascular AMD (50%), the authors said.