Photodynamic Therapy with Verteporfin in Treatment of Myopic Neovascular Choroideal Membranes

The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency and long-term stabilization effect in patients with classic type of myopic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV), treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin (Visudyne – Novartis AG, Basel, Switzerland). We have verified the efficiency of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in group of 51 eyes (17 men, 34 women), mean age 49,5 years with subfoveal localized predominantly classic neovascular membranes in pathologic myopia. The average follow up period was 23,7 months (± 2,3 month). Patients underwent during follow-up period 1 to 3 sessions of photodynamic therapy (PDT average number 1,25 sessions). The average best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before treatment was 0,302 (0,65 logMAR) and the average BCVA at the end of follow up was 0,356 (0,46 log MAR). The improvement of best corrected visual acuity up to 5 letters on ETDRS (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) charts was observed in 23% of patients at the end of follow up.