Subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy for subfoveal occult choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To describe the long term outcome of patients with subfoveal, occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy.METHODS: 82 eyes of 82 consecutive patients with subfoveal occult CNV secondary to AMD were treated with subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy. Best corrected visual acuity, fundus photography, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography were performed.RESULTS: All patients have been followed for at least 24 months. At the final follow-up visit, 75.6% of patients had stable or improved visual acuity and 24.4% had worsened visual acuity. No overtreatment side effects were found.CONCLUSION: Subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy seems effective in stabilizing visual acuity in patients affected by occult, subfoveal CNV even on a long-term basis.