Ashok Kumar1,2, Poninder Kumar3, Sanjay Kumar Mishra4, Mayank Jhanawar4, Arun Gupta5, Srikanth Sathagopam3. 1. Department of Ophthalmology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, 411040, India. smileashok@rediffmail.com. 2. Department of Ophthalmology, Army College of Medical Sciences & Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, 110010, India. smileashok@rediffmail.com. 3. Department of Ophthalmology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, 411040, India. 4. Department of Ophthalmology, Army College of Medical Sciences & Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, 110010, India. 5. Department of Community Medicine, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, 411040, India.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of half-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) as treatment for symptomatic peripapillary circumscribed choroidal haemangiomas (CCHs). METHODS: In this prospective, interventional case series; 11 patients with symptomatic peripapillary CCHs presenting to a single centre were treated with half-fluence PDT using verteporfin 6 mg/m2 with fluence of 25 mJ/cm2 (standard is 50 mJ/cm2) and other standard settings. Patients were evaluated at baseline, four weeks, twelve weeks and twenty-four weeks post-PDT treatment with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ultrasonography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), visual evoked potential and angiographic studies. RESULTS: Eleven patients with peripapillary CCHs received half-fluence PDT. The BCVA significantly improved to 0.558 ± 0.118 at four weeks post-treatment (P = 0.014), to 0.494 ± 0.114 at twelve weeks (P = 0.006) and 0.441 ± 0.125 at twenty-four weeks (P = 0.007) from baseline levels of 1.017 ± 0.075 on log MAR scales. Similar improvement was observed in central macular thickness (CMT) of 78.50 ± 13.73 μm (P = 0.001) at four weeks; 114.70 ± 27.73 μm (P = 0.003) at twelve weeks and 174.60 ± 23.13 μm (P = 0.001) at twenty-four weeks post-treatment. A single session of re-treatment was required in 18% (n = 2) of patients which also showed complete resolution at last follow-up. No complications were observed without any significant change in retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness at six months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Half-fluence PDT can be an effective and safe treatment option for peripapillary CCHs which results in both anatomical and functional improvements with no observable complications.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of half-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) as treatment for symptomatic peripapillary circumscribed choroidal haemangiomas (CCHs). METHODS: In this prospective, interventional case series; 11 patients with symptomatic peripapillary CCHs presenting to a single centre were treated with half-fluence PDT using verteporfin 6 mg/m2 with fluence of 25 mJ/cm2 (standard is 50 mJ/cm2) and other standard settings. Patients were evaluated at baseline, four weeks, twelve weeks and twenty-four weeks post-PDT treatment with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ultrasonography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), visual evoked potential and angiographic studies. RESULTS: Eleven patients with peripapillary CCHs received half-fluence PDT. The BCVA significantly improved to 0.558 ± 0.118 at four weeks post-treatment (P = 0.014), to 0.494 ± 0.114 at twelve weeks (P = 0.006) and 0.441 ± 0.125 at twenty-four weeks (P = 0.007) from baseline levels of 1.017 ± 0.075 on log MAR scales. Similar improvement was observed in central macular thickness (CMT) of 78.50 ± 13.73 μm (P = 0.001) at four weeks; 114.70 ± 27.73 μm (P = 0.003) at twelve weeks and 174.60 ± 23.13 μm (P = 0.001) at twenty-four weeks post-treatment. A single session of re-treatment was required in 18% (n = 2) of patients which also showed complete resolution at last follow-up. No complications were observed without any significant change in retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness at six months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Half-fluence PDT can be an effective and safe treatment option for peripapillary CCHs which results in both anatomical and functional improvements with no observable complications.