Clinical outcomes and predictors of response to photodynamic therapy in symptomatic circumscribed choroidal hemangioma: A retrospective case series

BACKGROUND: To investigate the treatment outcomes and predictors of response to photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with symptomatic circumscribed hemangioma (CCH). METHODS: This retrospective case series examined 20 patients with symptomatic CCH (10 submacular CCHs and10 juxtapapillary CCHs) who underwent standard PDT (wavelength: 662 nm; light dose: 50J/cm(2); exposure time: 83 sec) with verteporfin (6mg/m(2)), either as monotherapy (n = 9) or in association with other treatments (n = 11), of which 7 received intravitreal injections (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF). A post-PDT improvement of at least two lines in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was the primary outcome measure. Predictors of response were investigated with binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen (85%) patients received one PDT session, and three patients (15%) underwent PDT at least twice. Ten patients (50%) achieved the primary outcome of a post-PDT BCVA improvement of at least two lines. Macular atrophy and recalcitrant cystoid macular edema in 2 patients. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age (< 50 years) (P = 0.033), pre-PDT BCVA of ≧20/200 (P = 0.013), exudative retinal detachment resolved within one month after PDT (P = 0.007), and a thinner post-PDT tumor thickness (P = 0.015) were associated with the achievement of a post-PDT BCVA improvement. Additional treatments to PDT including IVI anti-VEGF did not appear to improve visual and anatomical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic CCHs respond generally well to PDT. Patients with younger age (< 50 years), pretreatment BCVA≥ 20/200, and thinner foveal edema are most likely to benefit from this approach.