One-year results of intravitreal ranibizumab with or without photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab with or without photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Korean patients.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of 22 patients (24 eyes) with PCV was conducted. Nine eyes were treated with intravitreal ranibizumab combined with a single session of PDT (group 1), and 15 eyes were treated only with ranibizumab (group 2). Such clinical evaluations as best-corrected Snellen visual acuity, central retinal thickness (CRT) by optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography (FA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) were done at baseline, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the first injections. Ranibizumab was reinjected on an as-needed basis guided by OCT, FA and ICGA, or at the doctor's discretion.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up duration was 22.5 months (range 12-37). The mean best-corrected visual acuity (logMAR) improved, and the mean CRT decreased throughout 12 months in both groups; no statistically significant difference between the groups was found (p = 0.327, p = 0.073, respectively). The number of ranibizumab injections was not significantly different either (p = 0.555).

CONCLUSIONS

Intravitreal ranibizumab with or without PDT for PCV in Korean patients resulted in visual and anatomical improvement over the 1-year follow-up period.