TY - JOUR TI - Prospective comparison of low-fluence photodynamic therapy combined with intravitreal bevacizumab versus bevacizumab monotherapy for choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration AU - Datseris, I. AU - Kontadakis, G.A. AU - Diamanti, R. AU - Datseris, I. AU - Pallikaris, I.G. AU - Theodossiadis, P. AU - Tsilimbaris, M.K. JO - Seminars in Ophthalmology PY - 2015 VL - 30 TODO - 2 SP - 112-117 PB - LIBRAPHARM/INFORMA HEALTHCARE SN - 0882-0538, 1744-5205 TODO - 10.3109/08820538.2013.833268 TODO - bevacizumab; verteporfin; angiogenesis inhibitor; bevacizumab; monoclonal antibody; photosensitizing agent; porphyrin; vasculotropin A; VEGFA protein, human; verteporfin, age related macular degeneration; aged; Article; central macular thickness; central retinal thickness; comparative study; controlled study; drug efficacy; female; follow up; human; major clinical study; male; monotherapy; optical coherence tomography; photodynamic therapy; priority journal; prospective study; randomized controlled trial; reduced fluence photodynamic therapy; retina fovea; subretinal neovascularization; visual acuity; antagonists and inhibitors; Choroidal Neovascularization; intravitreal drug administration; middle aged; multimodality cancer therapy; pathophysiology; photochemotherapy; physiology; procedures; very elderly; wet macular degeneration, Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Choroidal Neovascularization; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Male; Middle Aged; Photochemotherapy; Photosensitizing Agents; Porphyrins; Prospective Studies; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Visual Acuity; Wet Macular Degeneration TODO - Purpose: To evaluate combination treatment with reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy (RDPDT) with Verteporfin and intravitreal bevacizumab, compared to bevacizumab alone, for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized comparative study comprising 95 patients with CNV. 49 patients received RDPDT (25J/cm2) followed by intravitreal bevacizumab 1.25mg one hour later, while 46 received intravitreal bevacizumab alone. Patients were followed for 12 months at four-week intervals with visual acuity (VA) assessment and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) of the macula. Bevacizumab re-injections were performed as needed. Results: On average, patients were re-injected 4.45 times in the combination group and 6.96 times in the bavacizumab group (p<0.001). At 12 months, VA improved by 8.64 letters in the bevacizumab group and by 8.37 letters in the combination group (p=0.922). Conclusion: Adding a reduced-fluence PDT arm in combination with bevacizumab offers similar results to those of intravitreal bevacizumab alone with significantly reduced number of injection repetitions. © 2015 Informa Healthcare. ER -