Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in Belgian patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

  This is a retrospective, uncontrolled study of 55 patients (61 eyes) treated between January 2002 and January 2004 with Photodynamic Therapy with Verteporfin for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration. The eyes were divided into three groups: predominantly classic CNV (21 eyes), minimally classic CNV (7) and occult with no classic CNV (4 eyes). For 31 patients (32 eyes) the follow-up period was at least one year. The following parameters were studied: visual acuity, progression of the CNV, and activity of the CNV expressed as leakage on fluorescein angiography and edema on OCT. In the group of predominantly classic CNV at 12 month the treatment resulted in an inactive lesion in 43% of the eyes, however in 48% the visual acuity had decreased. For the group of minimally classic CNV, regression of activity was noted in 71% but vision further decreased in 57%. In the group of occult with no classic CNV one eye developed classic CNV, whereas the lesion regressed on 3 eyes. Two of the 4 eyes lost vision. These results suggest that although PDT is capable of stabilizing the lesion, further visual loss is to be expected in a large number of patients.