Foveal ablation for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization.

Untreated subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (SFCN) often progresses to destroy much central visual function. In this study, laser photocoagulation which included the entire foveal avascular zone was applied to SFCN in the second eye of 13 consecutive patients. Each patient had untreated SFCN in their first eye with visual acuity less than or equal to 20/400. Each second eye had SFCN of recent onset which was less than or equal to 1 disc diameter (DD) in size and visual acuity less than or equal to 20/200. In 10 of 13 (76.9%) treated eyes, SFCN was eliminated for 3 to 30 months. These eyes all retained strikingly better visual fields (Amsler or automated) than their fellow untreated eyes, markedly better subjective vision, and Snellen visual acuities of 20/70 to 20/400. Foveal photocoagulation may be useful in selected cases of SFCN with small neovascular nets and poor visual acuity.