Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for chronic central serous choroidoretinopathy and idiopathic choroidal neovascularization-first report from the sultanate of Oman

Background: Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is characterized by accumulation of subretinal fluid, resulting in neurosensory retinal detachment. Design: Interventional study. Methods: Five patients (CSCR-3; Idiopathic-2) with Choroidal Neovascularization (CNV) were selected for the study. All patients had Standardized refraction, color photographs, fluorescein angiography (FA), and Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) using verteporfin. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was done wherever applicable. The main outcome measures were improvement or stability in Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) and FA identified closure of lesions. Results: Followup period for the CSCR group ranged from 8 to 11 months and for the idiopathic group 12 to 23 months. BCVA improved in 67% eyes in the CSCR group (three eyes). Amongst the idiopathic group (two eyes), one eye gained BCVA by two lines while the other lost one Snellen line from baseline VA. FA identified CNV lesions closed in 67% eyes in the CSCR group and all eyes in the idiopathic CNV group. Conclusions: Photodynamic therapy with Verteporfin can be an ideal mode of therapy in chronic CSCR with or without CNV, and idiopathic CNV in terms of improved or stabilized VA, and closure of the CNV lesions. A study involving a larger number of patients as a multicenter trial would add to the authenticity of our observation.