Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to central serous chorioretinopathy.

OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). DESIGN Prospective interventional, noncomparative case series. METHODS After the diagnosis of a subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to CSC, 26 eyes of 24 patients were treated with photodynamic therapy with verteporfin. Patients were then followed up every 2 to 3 months, with further treatments performed as deemed necessary through fluorescein angiography. The mean observation was 22.2 months (range, 6-36 months; median, 24 months). RESULTS There was marked visual improvement, with patients gaining a mean of 1.6 lines after 1 year and a mean of 2.2 lines after 2 years. There was a statistically significant change in visual acuity from baseline to 12 and 24 months (mean difference, -0.16, P =.03; and mean difference, -0.22, P =.02; respectively; t test for both). There was no correlation between patients' age or greatest linear dimension of the lesions and the final outcome (P>.10 for all). No patient experienced any adverse effects. CONCLUSION Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin resulted in a beneficial outcome in the treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to CSC, without serious adverse effects in this case series.