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[Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: long-term results].

PURPOSE
To evaluate the long term efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin in Japanese patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 128 eyes of 125 patients with PCV over a 6-month follow-up. The mean age was 75 years. The follow-up period was 6 to 36 (mean, 17.8) months. Results were evaluated studying visual acuity, fundus findings, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography.


RESULTS
Ninety two eyes were observed for 12 months, and 39 eyes were observed for 24 months after initial PDT. The mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved from 0.21 at baseline to 0.28 (p<0.01) at 12 months, and 0.26 (p=0.09) at 24 months, respectively. Nine eyes had decreased BCVA of three or more lines at 24 months. Eyes associated with type 2 CNV needed significantly more repeated treatments (p<0.001) than eyes without it. Nineteen eyes had polypoidal lesions that recurred 6 to 21 months (mean, 14) after the initial PDT application.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study showed that PDT is effective for patients with PCV eyes over the long term. Visual complications or recurrence of polypoidal lesions were observed in some patients over the long term. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of other treatments besides PDT.