Transpupillary thermotherapy of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety and effectiveness of transpupillary thermotherapy treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane secondary to pathologic myopia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Seventy-four patients (74 eyes) with pathologic myopia underwent transpupillary thermotherapy treatment using a 3.0-mm spot size, 1-minute duration, and 520-mW power delivered through a contact lens. Clinical evaluation included measurement of best-corrected Snellen visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundus color photography, and fluorescein angiography.

RESULTS

Sixty-four eyes (86%) received one treatment session. Six eyes (8%) improved 0.1 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) visual acuity post-treatment, 10 eyes (13.5%) lost more than 0.2 LogMAR acuity, and another 10 eyes (13.5%) lost 0.1 LogMAR acuity. The remaining 48 eyes (65%) had unchanged visual acuity after the last follow-up visit.

CONCLUSION

Transpupillary thermotherapy preserves vision in patients with choroidal neovascular membrane associated with pathologic myopia. Younger patients and eyes with higher refractive error are more likely to benefit from treatment.