Photodynamic therapy with and without adjunctive intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide: a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare photodynamic therapy (PDT) with and without adjunctive intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six eyes received PDT with IVTA and 73 eyes received PDT only. Outcome measures included changes In Visual acuity and greatest linear dimension (GLD), the presence of angiographic leakage, the re-treatment rate, and adverse events. RESULTS: Patients treated with PDT with IVTA had reduced mean GLD compared to patients treated with PDT only at all study time points (3 [P = .0049], 6 [P = .003], and 12 [P = .05] months). Forty-four percent of patients in the PDT with IVTA group and 22% of patients in the PDT only group achieved angiographic closure at 3 months (P = .027). There were no significant differences in the final visual acuity outcome or the re-treatment rate between the two groups. CONCLUSION: PDT with IVTA therapy has a favorable outcome on GLD. There is a modest improvement in visual acuity with PDT with IVTA therapy, which diminishes over time.