TWO-YEAR CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER PHOTODYNAMIC ACUTE EXUDATIVE MACULOPATHY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze the 2-year clinical outcomes after photodynamic therapy–induced acute exudative maculopathy (PAEM) in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy. Methods: Prospective observational study that included 64 eyes of 64 patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy who received half-fluence photodynamic therapy and had a 2-year follow-up. Patients were classified into two groups based on whether they had had PAEM at 3 days after treatment (PAEM+, n = 22; ≥50 µm) increase in subretinal fluid or not (PAEM−, n = 42). Best-corrected visual acuity and subretinal fluid changes evaluated with optical coherence tomography were registered at 3 days, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after photodynamic therapy. The number of recurrences, the appearance of outer retinal atrophy, and choroidal neovascularization were analyzed. Results: Best-corrected visual acuity was 75.9 ± 13.6 (20/32) and 82.0 ± 11.0 letters (20/25) at 2 years in the PAEM+ and PAEM− groups, respectively (P = 0.055). There were no differences in the best-corrected visual acuity change (4.2 ± 7.7 vs. 3.3 ± 7.1 letters; P = 0.654) and the subretinal fluid decrease (−117.3 ± 74.2 vs. −138.5 ± 83.6 µm; P = 0.323) at 2 years between patients with and without PAEM. No differences in the number of recurrences (P = 0.267), the appearance of choroidal neovascularization (P = 0.155), or outer retinal atrophy (P = 0.273) between both groups were noted. Conclusion: Patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy with and without PAEM presented similar results at 2 years in best-corrected visual acuity gain, subretinal fluid reduction, and complication rate.