Photodynamic therapy increases the eligibility for feeder vessel treatment of choroidal neovascularization caused by age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract

To report angiographic observations about feeder vessel identification after photodynamic therapy in patients with choroidal neovascularization caused by age-related macular degeneration. Cohort study. We analyzed fluorescein and indocyanine green dynamic angiography in 156 eyes of 145 patients before and after photodynamic therapy to identify the feeder vessels of the choroidal neovascular membrane. Before photodynamic therapy one or more feeder vessel could be detected in 35 (22.4%) out of 156 eyes with choroidal neovascularization. Three months after photodynamic therapy, a feeder vessel could be identified in 112 (84.2%) out of 133 eyes with persistent choroidal neovascularization. Among these, 16 eyes received direct laser photocoagulation of the feeder vessel and did not need any further photodynamic therapy. Previous photodynamic therapy improves the detection of the feeder vessel of the choroidal neovascularization. A sequential combined therapy (photodynamic and feeder vessel treatment) could be considered as an alternative to multiple photodynamic treatments.