Color Doppler imaging of ocular blood flow after combined photodynamic therapy with intravitreal triamcinolone in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of combined intravitreal triamcinolone and ocular photodynamic therapy on retinal and choroidal hemodynamics in age-related macular degeneration.
METHODS: Intravitreal triamcinolone (4 mg, 0.1 cc) and photodynamic therapy with verteporfin were applied to 48 eyes of 33 subjects (25 male and 8 female; mean age: 68.9 years) with subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Patients were assessed for ocular hemodynamic parameters with color Doppler imaging 24 hr before and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after a single-dose administration of combined intravitreal triamcinolone and photodynamic therapy.
RESULTS: Throughout the study period, no significant difference in resistance index, peak systolic velocity, or end diastolic velocity existed in the ophthalmic artery (P  =  0.58, P  =  0.18, and P  =  0.19, respectively), the posterior ciliary arteries (P  =  0.73, P  =  0.19, and P  =  0.34, respectively), or the central retinal artery (P  =  0.09, P  =  0.32, and P  =  0.47, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Combined intravitreal triamcinolone and photodynamic therapy was not associated with any alteration in ocular blood flow or flow velocity over 3 months in eyes with age-related macular degeneration.