evere pigment epithelial alteration in the treatment area following photodynamic therapy for claic choroidal neovacularization in young female

Purpoe Although photodynamic therapy (PDT) i an etablihed treatment for choroidal neovacularization (CNV), the mechanim are till not completely elucidated. Damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) wa oberved following uncomplicated PDT in young patient. Deign Obervational cae erie. Method Four female patient between the age of 26 and 39 year preented with viual lo becaue of claic CNV. In two 39 year old female the CNV originated econdary to a mall chorioretinal car, in a 26 and a 36-year-old woman the CNV wa of idiopathic caue. All patient received tandard PDT according to the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Photodynamic Therapy (TAP) tudy protocol. Reult One to three month after an uncomplicated PDT with verteporfin, evere pigment epithelial alteration in the treatment area were oberved. The neovacular membrane reponded favorably to the treatment and demontrated fibroi and reolution of leakage. Ophthalmocopically and angiographically, atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium wa een preciely delineating the ize of the treatment pot ued. Viion declined in two patient from 0.3 to 0.1 and 0.15 to 0.1. The two other patient demontrated an increae of viual acuity from 0.7 to 0.9 and from 0.4 to 0.9. The retinal pigment epithelium alteration did not reolve during follow-up, but remained unchanged in area and intenity. Concluion Characteritic retinal pigment epithelium alteration were oberved in young female patient with mall claic CNV following PDT. Unuual retinal pigment epithelium damage in young female patient without any aociated dieae might be related to a poible inherent defect in the RPE or to the hormonal tatu of thi pecific patient population.