Radiation therapy for small choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of radiation therapy on age-related macula r degeneration with subfoveal or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization l ess than or equal to1 disc area. Methods: Fourteen patients (14 eyes) received a total radiation dose of 10- 20 Gy in 5-10 fractions. The mean follow-up time was 22 months. Ten patient s (10 eyes) in a control group were followed up for an average of 16 months without treatment. Results: At a 12-month posttreatment examination, funduscopic and angiograp hic findings showed improvement in 7 eyes (50%), no change in 1 eye (7%), a nd deterioration in 6 eyes (43%) among the treated patients. The same findi ngs demonstrated improvement in 1 eye (10%), no change in 2 eyes (20%), and deterioration in 7 eyes (70%) among the control patients. This difference was determined to be statistically significant between the two groups by th e Mann-Whitney U-test. Visual acuity had improved in 4 eyes (29%), was unch anged in 6 eyes (43 %). and had declined in 4 eyes (29%), among the treated patients. Among the control patients, visual acuity had improved in none o f the eyes (0%), was unchanged in 6 eyes (60%), and had declined in 4 eyes (40%). The difference in visual acuity between the two groups was not stati stically significant. Conclusions: Radiation therapy inhibited small choroidal neovascularization : as seen by funduscopy and angiography, but its effectiveness in improving visual prognosis was not always evident. (C) 2000 Japanese Ophthalmologica l Society.