Effectiveness of polypoidal lesion-selective photodynamic therapy with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the 24-month effectiveness of polypoidal lesion-selective photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) with branching vascular networks (BVNs) involving the fovea with 1 or more polyps.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective case series.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-six eyes from 25 PCV patients treated with polypoidal lesion-selective PDT combined with aflibercept were included in the study. The main outcome measure was change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and the secondary outcome measures were changes in central retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thickness on optical coherence tomography (OCT), status of exudation at 24 months, and number of additional treatments.

RESULTS

Fourteen eyes of 14 patients showed treatment-naïve PCV, and 12 eyes of 11 patients were switched from anti-VEGF monotherapy. The baseline mean logMAR BCVA was 0.43, and this had increased significantly, by 0.31, at 24 months (P = .034). The mean central retinal thickness (CRT) and central choroidal thickness (CCT) were significantly lower at all time points than those at baseline. The mean number of additional injections of aflibercept was 3.1 (range, 0-9), and that of additional PDT treatments was 0.5 (range, 0-2).

CONCLUSION

Polypoidal lesion-selective PDT with aflibercept was effective for relatively large, fovea-involved PCV, with significant visual improvement at 24 months.