Visual function after strontium-90 plaque irradiation in patients with age-related subfoveal choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE

To report 2-year visual and angiographic results in eyes treated with strontium plaque irradiation for subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVM) in age-related macular degeneration.

METHODS

Twenty eyes with recent subfoveal CNVM were treated with local irradiation. The impact of the treatment on visual function was evaluated by visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and reading speed testing.

RESULTS

At 12 months visual acuity had improved or remained the same in 9/ 20 eyes (45%). At 24 months visual acuity was stable in 5/18 eyes (28%). Eyes with signs of CNVM regression (13/18, 72%) lost a mean of 3.3 lines, but eyes with recurrent CNVM lost a mean of 5.1 lines of vision. The mean contrast sensitivity was better in the irradiated eyes than in the fellow eyes with late age-related macular degeneration at 24 months. Six of 17 irradiated eyes (35%) could read at least some words at 24 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Visual function decreases in patients treated with strontium irradiation, but less in eyes showing regression of the CNVM than in eyes with further growth of the CNVM.