Long-term efficacy and safety of verteporfin photodynamic therapy in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to analyze the outcomes of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) for patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) having visual acuity (VA) better than 20/60 in a real-world scenario in India. METHODS: Retrospective review of 42 eyes of 40 patients (mean age 64.3 years) with best-corrected VA (BCVA) 20/60 or better and mean follow-up of 40 months (median 38 months; range 12–71 months) treated with PDT and anti-VEGF or triamcinolone for indocyanine green angiography (ICGA)-proven subfoveal PCV. RESULTS: Mean BCVA improved from 0.22 logMAR at baseline to 0.15 at last visit (P < 0.001). On ICGA, polyp was observed in 42 eyes (100%) and branching vascular network (BVN) in 37 eyes (88.1%). Polyp regressed in 33 (78.6%) of 42 eyes and BVN in 26 (70.3%) of 37 eyes after combined therapy at 3 months. Mean greatest linear diameter reduced significantly (P < 0.001) from 7.22 mm to 4.11 mm. Standard-fluence PDT was performed in 35 eyes and reduced-fluence in 7 eyes. The mean number of PDT was 1.17 with mean number of injections being 6.38 at the end of follow-up. In five eyes, more than one PDT was administered. Of 42 eyes, 40 showed complete resolution of serous macular detachment (SMD) after the combined therapy at 3 months; 17 (42.5%) of the 40 eyes showed no recurrence of fluid on spectral domain optical coherence tomography till the last visit with a mean follow-up of 27 months. On long-term follow-up, SMD reoccurred in 23 eyes with a mean follow-up period of 9.64 ± 5.24 months. Of 38 eyes having a double-layer sign (DLS) on optical coherence tomography at baseline, 37 eyes were having regression of the DLS, that is, it either reduced or resolved at the final visit. At the final visit, 66.7% (P < 0.001) eyes were having fluid-free retina. No complication of subretinal hemorrhage was noted. Of the 42 eyes, only one eye had BCVA worse than 20/60 on the final visit. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to look into the long-term effect of combined PDT with anti-VEGF in PCV in eyes having good VA. Long-term effect of combined PDT appears to be a safe and effective treatment for PCV in eyes having good VA with better outcomes in real-world setting. This study further strengthens the superiority of the combined treatment modality for treatment of subfoveal PCV with no or minimal risk of complication on long-term follow-up.