Prognosis poor for serous PED in AMD, despite photodynamic therapy

More than half of eyes with age-related macular degeneration associated with serous pigment epithelial detachment lost three or more lines of vision during follow-up of 1 to 3 years, a retrospective study found. The visual loss was seen despite treatment with photodynamic therapy up to eight times, the study authors said.

Ruth Axer-Siegel, MD, and colleagues at the Rabin Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, reviewed the medical charts and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiograms of 34 patients with AMD associated with choroidal neovascularization and serous pigment epithelium detachment who were treated with PDT from January 2000 through August 2002. Eyes received one to eight PDT treatments.

Nineteen eyes (56%) lost three or more Snellen lines of visual acuity, seven eyes (21%) lost one or two lines, six eyes (18%) maintained initial acuity and two eyes (6%) gained one or two lines, the authors said. Subretinal hemorrhage occurred in five eyes and retinal pigment epithelium tears in four eyes. In four eyes, VA decreased to counting fingers, hand motions or light perception.

Further studies and treatment modalities are needed to improve the prognosis of neovascular AMD with serous PED, the authors said. The study is published in the April issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.