PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - F Gelisken
AU  - B A Lafaut
AU  - W Inhoffen
AU  - M Voelker
AU  - S Grisanti
AU  - K U Bartz-Schmidt
TI  - Clinicopathological findings of choroidal neovascularisation following verteporfin photodynamic therapy
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.2003.018754
DP  - 2004 Feb 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 207--211
VI  - 88
IP  - 2
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/88/2/207.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/88/2/207.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol2004 Feb 01; 88
AB  - Aims: To report the clinicopathologic findings of surgically excised choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) three days after verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT). Methods: In three patients (three eyes) with age related macular degeneration, the CNV was surgically removed three days after PDT. The CNV specimens were examined by light microscopy. Results: The patients had subfoveal classic CNV. Fluorescein angiography revealed non-perfusion of the CNV after PDT and before surgery in all eyes. The light microscopy of the CNV membranes showed swollen and damaged endothelium. Thrombus formation or vascular occlusion in the CNV vessels was not detected. Conclusion: PDT did not cause a thrombosis of the vessels within the CNV three days after PDT. Severe endothelial damage of the CNV was observed and is likely a primary effect of PDT. Non-perfusion of the CNV at this stage is possibly secondary to occlusion at a deeper level, namely the underlying feeding choroid.