Variable outcome of photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization associated with choroidal nevus

PURPOSE: To report five cases of classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with choroidal nevus treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin.METHODS: The patients underwent an ophthalmologic evaluation, including fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography. Clinical and angiographic data were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate visual acuity outcomes and both clinical evolution and angiographic evolution.RESULTS: Two patients presented with subfoveal CNV, and three had juxtafoveal CNV. The mean follow-up was 25.8 months. Visual outcomes were extremely variable. Indeed, best-corrected visual acuity decreased in three eyes, stabilized in one case, and improved in the other case. The number of PDT sessions necessary to obtain CNV stabilization with cessation of fluorescein leakage varied from one to six.CONCLUSION: Bearing in mind that both the natural history and the post-PDT outcome may be extremely variable, further studies are needed to assess the real benefit of PDT for classic CNV secondary to choroidal nevus.