Photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration treatment: epidemiological and clinical analysis of a long-term study.

Background And Objective: The aim of this article was to analyze the long-term results of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Patients And Methods: This prospective nonrandomized clinical trial included 262 patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration who were treated with PDT in accordance with the Protocol of the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Photodynamic Therapy Study. The followup lasted 48 months.

Results: There was a significant loss of visual acuity 3 months after the first PDT treatment, a slow, progressive decrease of vision until month 12, and then visual acuity remained stable from months 24 to 48. The choroidal neovascularization size increased noticeably during the first 12 months, particularly the first 3 months after PDT. The higher the classic component of choroidal neovascularization, the better it responded to PDT. The evolution of juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization was worse than that of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization after PDT because it grew quickly toward the fovea and visual acuity loss was greater.

Conclusion: PDT is a safe, long-term treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration, but it is not definitive because this treatment cannot stop the initial growth of the choroidal neovascularization lesion.