QUANTIFICATION OF METAMORPHOPSIA IN CHRONIC CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY AFTER HALF-DOSE VERTEPORFIN PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

Purpose: To determine the degree of metamorphopsia before and 1 year after half-dose verteporfin photodynamic therapy in eyes with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy. Methods: This was a retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series. Forty-five eyes of 45 consecutive patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy were evaluated. The degree of metamorphopsia was measured with M-CHARTS before and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after half-dose verteporfin photodynamic therapy. The best-corrected visual acuity was also measured. Results: Forty of the 45 eyes had a complete resolution of the serous retinal detachment at 1 month, 1 eye at 3 months, and 3 eyes at 6 months. The serous retinal detachment in one eye persisted throughout the follow-up period. The mean horizontal metamorphopsia score improved significantly from 0.61 +/- 0.52 degrees at baseline to 0.49 +/- 0.56 degrees at 12 months (P = 0.04). The vertical metamorphopsia score improved significantly from 0.52 +/- 0.53 degrees at baseline to 0.33 +/- 0.46 degrees at 12 months (P = 0.005). Conclusion: Half-dose verteporfin photodynamic therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy results in significant improvements of metamorphopsia at 1 year, especially in eyes with good best-corrected visual acuity at the baseline. Half-dose verteporfin photodynamic therapy can be a therapeutic option for patients with good visual acuity who complain of metamorphopsia.