ANTIANGIOGENICS IN CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH LASER IN CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY.

Background/purpose: To report characteristics and treatment outcome of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in central serous chorioretinopathy.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 12 eyes of 12 patients, who were diagnosed to have CNV secondary to laser photocoagulation or PDT for central serous chorioretinopathy. Collected data included demographic details, history of presenting illness, clinical examination details including visual acuity at presentation, and follow-up with imaging and treatment details. Main outcome measures were resolution of CNV activity at the last follow-up. Secondary outcomes included change in visual acuity at final follow-up from baseline, number of injections, treatment-free interval, and adverse events.

Results: This study included 12 eyes of CNV secondary to laser photocoagulation (8 eyes) and PDT (4 eyes). Mean age of study subjects was 47.6 ± 15.4 years (range 33-82) with 8 men and 4 women. Mean interval between laser photocoagulation/PDT and diagnosis of CNV was 23.9 ± 54.5 months. All subjects had unilateral CNV with classic CNV on fluorescein angiography. Eight eyes had extrafoveal CNV, and four eyes had juxtafoveal CNV. Baseline best-corrected visual acuity was 0.56 ± 0.51 (Snellen equivalent 20/60) logMAR, and final best-corrected visual acuity was 0.53 ± 0.51 (Snellen equivalent 20/60) logMAR with no significant difference (P = 0.84). All four eyes that presented with the CNV secondary to PDT group required additional PDT treatment because of poor response to antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy. At the last follow-up, only one patient in the laser group had active CNV; the remaining patients of both groups had scarred CNV. Mean follow-up duration was 22.4 ± 23.1 months. Mean number of injections was 3.16 ± 2.62. Longest treatment-free interval was 8.29 ± 11.4 months.

Conclusion: Antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy appears to be safe and efficacious in CNVs secondary to laser photocoagulation and PDT. Choroidal neovascularizations secondary to PDT appear to be more resistant to antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy than those because of laser photocoagulation and required additional PDT.