@article{3148841,
    title = "PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY, RANIBIZUMAB, AND RANIBIZUMAB WITH PHOTODYNAMIC
THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY",
    author = "Rouvas, Alexandros A. and Papakostas, Thanos D. and Ntouraki, Amalia and and Douvali, Maria and Vergados, Ioannis and Ladas, Ioannis D.",
    journal = "RETINA-THE JOURNAL OF RETINAL AND VITREOUS DISEASES",
    year = "2011",
    volume = "31",
    number = "3",
    pages = "464-474",
    publisher = "Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins",
    doi = "10.1097/IAE.0b013e3181f274ec",
    keywords = "polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV); ranibizumab; PDT; combination",
    abstract = "Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare photodynamic therapy
(PDT), ranibizumab, and ranibizumab with PDT in polypoidal choroidal
vasculopathy.
Methods: In this retrospective comparative study, 30 eyes of 30 patients
with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were assigned to 1 of the 3
groups. The patients in Group 1 (n = 11) received 1 session of PDT. The
patients in Group 2 (n = 10) received 3 monthly intravitreal injections
of 0.5 mg ranibizumab, and the patients in Group 3 (n = 9) received 1
session of PDT and 3 injections of 0.5 mg ranibizumab. Retreatment, with
the same therapeutic scheme in each group, was considered in case of
leaking polyps on the indocyanine green angiography in Groups 1 and 3
and persistence or recurrence of subretinal fluid, intraretinal fluid,
and/or hemorrhages in Group 2.
Results: All the patients completed 12 months of follow-up. The visual
acuity in the patients of Group 1 improved by 0.25 logarithm of the
minimum angle of resolution units (P< 0.001), whereas the differences in
the visual acuity in the other 2 groups were not statistically
significant (0.04 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution, P =
0.8118 in Group 2 and 0.18 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution,
P> 0.05 in Group 3). Of the patients in Group 1, 45.45% gained more
than 3 lines (P = 0.0056), whereas no patient in Groups 2 and 3
experienced such a difference. No patient in Group 1 and 11.1% (n = 1)
in Group 3 had angiographically evident polyps at 12 months, whereas
90% (n = 9) of the patients in Group 2 had persistent leakage. No
extensive submacular hemorrhage or other complications were noted during
the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Photodynamic therapy resulted in a significantly better
outcome at the end of the follow-up, whereas the patients who received
ranibizumab or PDT and ranibizumab experienced a stabilization of the
disease. RETINA 31: 464-474, 2011"
}