Choroidal Thickness Changes After Intravitreal Ranibizumab and Photodynamic Therapy in Recurrent Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

PURPOSE: To evaluate subfoveal choroidal thickness changes in cases with recurrent polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) after combination therapy with intravitreal ranibizumab and photodynamic therapy (PDT). DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series study. METHODS: We measured subfoveal choroidal thickness in PCV using optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and after PDT. In recurrent cases, the choroidal thickness was measured at the time of the recurrence. In nonrecurrent cases, choroidal thickness was measured 1 year after PDT. RESULTS: Combination therapy was performed in 27 eyes (27 patients). Polypoidal lesions regressed within 3 months after initial treatment in all eyes. Retreatment was needed in 10 of 27 eyes (37.0%) after more than 3 months of follow-up. In recurrent cases, subfoveal choroid decreased from 188 pm at baseline to 157 gm 3 months after PDT (P < .01); however, choroidal thickness increased to 179 mu m with recurrence (P = .54 compared to baseline; average, 8.0 months). In nonrecurrent cases, subfoveal choroid decreased from 257 gm at baseline to 210 mu m 3 months after PDT and 212 mu m 1 year after PDT (P < .01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Subfoveal choroidal thickness in PCV at the time of recurrence returned to the baseline level after choroidal thinning as a result of PDT treatment. Choroidal thickness changes after PDT examined using OCT may reflect disease activity in PCV. ((C) 2013 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)