EXTENDED REPORT

Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation of pathologic myopia in Chinese eyes: a prospective series of 1 and 2 year follow up

D S C Lam^1,2, W-M Chan^1,2, D T L Liu², D S P Fan¹, W W Lai^1,2 and K K L Chong²

¹ Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
² Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr W-M Chan
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, University Eye Center, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, 147K, Argyle Street, Hong Kong; cwm6373{at}netvigator.com

Aims: To evaluate the visual and fluorescein angiographic outcomes of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) caused by pathologic myopia in the Chinese.

Methods: Prospective, non-comparative, two centre interventional study. Patients with CNV secondary to pathologic myopia of Chinese ethnicity were recruited and treated with a standard regimen of PDT with verteporfin. Results of this study in Chinese eyes with pigmented retinal pigment epithelium were compared with those from the Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy (VIP) Study of predominantly white eyes.

Results: Thirty one and 22 eyes that completed the 12 month and 24 month follow up studies respectively were analysed. The mean and median best corrected visual acuities (BCVA) could be maintained at the baseline level at the 12 month and 24 month visits. Fourteen (63.6%) eyes had stable or improved BCVA at 24 months and six (27.3%) of them had a moderate gain in vision (improved by three or more lines). Visual results were comparable with that of the VIP study, but the average accumulative PDT treatments required in one and two years were 1.7 and 2.3 respectively, which were significantly less than 3.4 and 5.1 treatments in VIP study. Mean logMAR BCVA of the younger age group (<55 years) at 24 months was 0.41 (SD 0.29), which was significantly better than the older age group ( = 55 years) of 0.82 (SD 0.40) (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.029).

Conclusions: PDT using the predetermined treatment protocol has achieved similar visual outcomes in the Chinese population as in white people with subfoveal myopic CNV over a 2 year study period. The complete cessation of CNV leakage can be accomplished, on average, with fewer PDT retreatments than reported in the VIP study. The disparity may be due to ethnic differences in these two populations.

Abbreviations: BCVA, best corrected visual acuity; CNV, choroidal neovascularisation; FA, fluorescein angiography; PDT, photodynamic therapy; RPE, retinal pigment epithelium; VIP Study, Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy Study

Keywords: photodynamic therapy; pathologic myopia; choroidal neovascularisation; Chinese; subfoveal

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Chan, W.-M., Lai, T. Y Y, Wong, A. L, Liu, D. T L, Lam, D. S C (2007). Combined photodynamic therapy and intravitreal triamcinolone injection for the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to pathological myopia: a pilot study. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 91: 174-179 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chan, W-M, Ohji, M, Lai, T Y Y, Liu, D T L, Tano, Y, Lam, D S C (2005). Choroidal neovascularisation in pathological myopia: an update in management. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 89: 1522-1528 [Abstract] [Full Text]