Photodynamic therapy may be beneficial for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Researchers from six different centers in Japan prospectively administered photodynamic therapy (PDT) to a total of 201 patients with either typical AMD (123 eyes) or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV; 84 eyes). Lesion assessments were conducted every three months and PDT was repeated if necessary.

At 30 months post-PDT, BCVA dropped significantly in the AMD group (P = 0.007) but stayed the same in the PCV group. Lesion type was the only significant predicting factor for BCVA at 30 months. PDT frequency and incidence of recurrence were the same for both groups, but the rate of recurrence was higher for the PCV group in the 12-to-30 month post-treatment period and higher for the AMD group in the zero- to 12-month period. Of the cases followed for more than 12 months after final PDT, 38 percent (44 eyes) of the AMD cases and 42 percent (35 eyes) of the PCV cases were recurrent.

The authors concluded that PDT may have some advantages for PCV patients, but not for typical AMD patients. However, a high recurrence rate for PCV means long-term observation is crucial.