Short-term treatment outcome of photodynamic therapy for patients with pachychoroid neovasculopathy

Purpose : To evaluate the six-month efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for patients with treatment-naive pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV). Patients and Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 15 eyes with treatment-naive PNV which underwent PDT from January 1st to October 30th in 2019 in Kyushu University Hospital. We diagnosed eyes as PNV if they had type 1 choroidal neovascularization (CNV) without polypoidal lesion and with central choroidal thickness (CCT) more than 250 micrometers. We assessed the efficacy of PDT for PNV by visual acuity, central retinal thickness (CRT), and central choroidal thickness (CCT) at six months after PDT. Result : The mean logMAR visual acuity was significantly improved in all patients six months after PDT : 0.14 at the baseline, and- 0.04 at six months after PDT (p<0.05). The serous retinal detachment was resolved in 14 eyes. Two eyes received full-dose PDT and 13 eyes received half-dose PDT with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drug injection. Three eyes required additional treatment of anti-VEGF drug injection within six months after PDT. The mean CMT, CCT and choroidal neovascularization thickness significantly reduced at six months after PDT : 390 μm to 193 μm (p<0.0l), 403 μm to 332 μm (p<0.05), 56μm to 28 μm (p<0.01), respectively. Conclusion : PDT improved the best-corrected visual acuity and reduced the CCT and CMT in eyes with treatment-naive PNV.