RADIOTHERAPY TREATMENT OF AGE-RELATED SUBFOVEAL NEOVASCULAR MEMBRANESIN PATIENTS WITH GOOD VISION

This prospective study investigated whether low-dose ionising radiothe rapy preserved vision and caused membrane regression in patients with age-related subfoveal neovascular membranes (SFNVMs) or vascularised p igment epithelial detachments (PEDs) and relatively good initial visua l acuities. Twenty-five patients with initial Snellen acuities of 6/24 or better were treated with low-dose external beam radiotherapy. Of t he patients with SFNVMs, visual acuities were maintained or improved i n 58% at 6 months and 53% at 1 year. Neovascular membrane size was ass essed by image analysis and showed some regression in 47% and 41% at 6 and 12 months respectively. These results suggest that patients with SFNVMs and good vision may benefit from radiotherapy, faring better th an previous reports of the natural history of this condition. Converse ly, patients with vascularised PEDs did not appear to benefit from rad iotherapy. Only 17% maintained their vision at 1 year and 33% suffered retinal pigment epithelial tears. The results from patients with SFNV Ms and good initial vision, excluding those with vascularised PEDs, ar e encouraging; however, any benefit from this treatment needs to be pr oven by controlled trials with long follow-up.