Photodynamic Therapy with Verteporfin for Choroidal Neovascularization of Pathologic Myopia in Japanese Patients: Comparison with Nontreated Controls

t J PURPOSE: To examine the effects of photodynam herapy (PDT) with verteporfin on subfoveal or juxtafo horoidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pat ogic myopia in Japanese patients and to compare the utcomes of PDT-treated patients with that of age-mat nd visual acuity-matched untreated controls. DESIGN: Prospective, open-label, consecutive, inte entional case series. METHODS: We prospectively followed up 43 eyes of onsecutive patients with pathologic myopia ( >6 dioptrs or axial length >26.5 mm) who received PDT yopic CNV. In addition, the visual outcomes of atients who were followed up for more than one ere compared with those of ageand initial v cuity-matched untreated controls. RESULTS: The average follow-up was 15.0 7.0 onths. Patients received an average of 1.40 0.73 reatments during follow-up, and 30 eyes (69.8%) uired only one treatment. The best-corrected vis cuity (BCVA) improved by more than two Snellen n seven eyes (16.3%), decreased in six eyes (14. nd remained stable in 30 eyes (69.7%). In three eye juxtafoveal CNV, CNV could not be detected oph oscopically or angiographically after PDT. Statistical a sis showed that the PDT-treated patients had significa etter visual acuity at one year after PDT than the ag nitial BCVA-matched untreated controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that PDT w eneficial for maintaining vision in Japanese patients with yopic CNV. The visual outcome after PDT was b han the natural course of the disease as determined ntreated controls. The effect on chorioretinal atro round CNV should be investigated with a long-t tudy. (Am J Ophthalmol 2008;145:518 –526. © 2 y Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)