BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used in the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study prospectively investigated patients' subjective change in visual function following PDT as treatment for AMD. METHODS: Eighty-two consecutive patients receiving PDT in Tasmania, Australia, between May and November 2003 were recruited. In conjunction with a comprehensive clinical examination, the Visual Function-14 (VF-14) questionnaire was administered. Final follow-up occurred between February and March 2005. The VF-14 was scored by traditional summary scoring and by Rasch analysis. RESULTS: Five of the 82 (6.1%) subjects recruited were excluded from analysis. PDT was performed on average 5.7+/-2.6 times per patient. Raw VF-14 scores tended towards being significantly lower at follow-up than at baseline (67.6+/-27.2 against 64.5+/-27.7; P=0.052), and did significantly deteriorate using a collapsed Rasch analysis (P=0.0102). Following treatment, 38 (47.5%) eyes had lost three or more Snellen lines of best-corrected visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing PDT typically report reasonable visual function. In parallel with visual acuity, self-reported visual function may deteriorate slightly after PDT for AMD, but not as much as reported in untreated AMD.
BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used in the treatment of choroidal neovascularisation secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study prospectively investigated patients' subjective change in visual function following PDT as treatment for AMD. METHODS: Eighty-two consecutive patients receiving PDT in Tasmania, Australia, between May and November 2003 were recruited. In conjunction with a comprehensive clinical examination, the Visual Function-14 (VF-14) questionnaire was administered. Final follow-up occurred between February and March 2005. The VF-14 was scored by traditional summary scoring and by Rasch analysis. RESULTS: Five of the 82 (6.1%) subjects recruited were excluded from analysis. PDT was performed on average 5.7+/-2.6 times per patient. Raw VF-14 scores tended towards being significantly lower at follow-up than at baseline (67.6+/-27.2 against 64.5+/-27.7; P=0.052), and did significantly deteriorate using a collapsed Rasch analysis (P=0.0102). Following treatment, 38 (47.5%) eyes had lost three or more Snellen lines of best-corrected visual acuity. CONCLUSION:Patients undergoing PDT typically report reasonable visual function. In parallel with visual acuity, self-reported visual function may deteriorate slightly after PDT for AMD, but not as much as reported in untreated AMD.
Authors: Rohan W Essex; Salmaan H Qureshi; Melinda S Cain; C Alex Harper; Robyn H Guymer Journal: Clin Exp Ophthalmol Date: 2003-12 Impact factor: 4.207
Authors: J Alonso; M Espallargues; T F Andersen; S D Cassard; E Dunn; P Bernth-Petersen; J C Norregaard; C Black; E P Steinberg; G F Anderson Journal: Ophthalmology Date: 1997-05 Impact factor: 12.079
Authors: Joan A Stelmack; Janet P Szlyk; Thomas R Stelmack; Paulette Demers-Turco; R Tracy Williams; D'Anna Moran; Robert W Massof Journal: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Date: 2004-11 Impact factor: 4.799
Authors: E P Steinberg; J M Tielsch; O D Schein; J C Javitt; P Sharkey; S D Cassard; M W Legro; M Diener-West; E B Bass; A M Damiano Journal: Arch Ophthalmol Date: 1994-05
Authors: Keven J Blinder; Shannon Bradley; Neil M Bressler; Susan B Bressler; Guy Donati; Yong Hao; Colin Ma; Ugo Menchini; Joan Miller; Michael J Potter; Constantin Pournaras; Al Reaves; Philip J Rosenfeld; H Andrew Strong; Michael Stur; Xiang Yao Su; Gianni Virgili Journal: Am J Ophthalmol Date: 2003-09 Impact factor: 5.258