Retinal pigment epithelial tear after transpupillary thermotherapy for choroidal neovascularization

PURPOSE: To describe two patients who developed a retinal pigment epithelial tear after transpupillary thermotherapy for choroidal neovascularization, METHOD: Case reports. RESULTS: Retinal pigment epithelial (retinal pigment epithelium) tear developed in 2 (8%) of 25 eyes after transpupillary thermotherapy for occult choroidal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration. In both eyes, the retinal pigment epithelium tear developed between the treatment session and first post-treatment examination. In both eyes, the visual acuity was unchanged, but the complication of retinal pigment epithelium tear may result in decreased visual acuity when transpupillary thermotherapy is performed in an eye with good initial visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Retinal pigment epithelium tear appears to occur more frequently after transpupillary thermotherapy for poorly defined choroidal neovascularization than after conventional laser photocoagulation for poorly defined choroidal neovascularization. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.