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Purpose: Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a disease presenting with detachment of the neurosensory retina and characteristic focal leakage on fluorescein angiography. The spontaneous remission rate is 84% within 6 months. In this study, the efficacy of selective retina therapy (SRT) was examined in patients with therapy refractory persistent acute CSC defined by symptoms for at least 6 months and persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) despite eplerenone therapy. Material and methods: This is a prospective, monocentric observational study in 17 eyes (16 patients, mean age 42 years, 2 female). SRT was performed with the approved R:GEN laser (Lutronic, South Korea), a micropulsed 527-nm Nd:YLF laser device, with a train of 30 pulses of 1.7 μs at 100-Hz repetition rate at the point of focal leakage determined by fluorescein angiography (FA) at baseline (BSL). Visits on BSL, week 4 (wk4), and week 12 (wk12) included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, logMar), central retinal thickness (CRT) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and FA. Statistical analysis was performed by pair-by-pair comparisons of multiple observations in each case with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. (IBM SPSS Statistics 25®). Results: Mean CRT at BSL was 387.69 ± 110.4 μm. CRT significantly decreased by 106.31 μm in wk4 (95%-KI: 21.42–191.2; p = 0.01), by 133.63 μm in wk12 (95%-KI: 50.22–217.03; p = 0.001) and by 133.81 μm (95%-KI: 48.88–218.75; p = 0.001) compared to BSL. Treatment success defined as complete resolution of SRF occurred at wk4 in 7/17 eyes (35.3%) and at wk12 in 10/17 eyes (58.8%). Re-SRT was performed in 7/17 eyes (41.2%) after an average of 107.14 ± 96.59 days. Treatment success after Re-SRT was observed in 4/6 eyes (66.6%, 12 weeks after Re-SRT). Mean BCVA did not change significantly from BSL to any later timepoint after adjusting for multiple testing. Notably, eyes with treatment success showed better BCVA at all timepoints and gained more letters compared to failures. Conclusion: Single or repetitive SRT may be an effective and safe treatment in 2 of 3 patients suffering from acute persistent CSC after 6 months of symptoms or more. We observed complete resolution of SRF in around 60% of eyes 12 weeks after first SRT treatment and also 12 weeks after Re-SRT treatment in eyes with persistent or recurrent SRF. Results on the long-term course after SRT are still pending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test selective retina therapy (SRT) as a treatment of clinically significant diabetic macular edema (DME). Prospective two-center interventional uncontrolled phase II pilot study. Thirty-nine eyes of 39 patients with previously untreated non-ischemic DME were treated with focal laser treatment using a Q-switched frequency doubled Nd:YLF laser which selectively affects the retinal pigment epithelium while sparing the photoreceptor layer. Optoacoustic measurements, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and funduscopy were used to determine the individual threshold of RPE damage of each patient. The pulse energy was adjusted to apply angiographically visible but funduscopically invisible effects. Optoacoustic measurements were correlated with funduscopy and FFA. Follow-up examinations at 3 and 6 months post-treatment included best-corrected ETDRS visual acuity (BCVA), FFA, fundus photography, and retinal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography. The primary outcome measure was change of BCVA. Other outcome measures were change of retinal thickness, presence of hard exudates, leakage in FFA, accuracy of optoacoustic measurements, and correlation of BCVA with change of anatomical and systemic parameters. Mean BCVA improved from 43.7 letters (standard deviation, SD = 9.1) at baseline to 46.1 letters (SD = 10.5) at the 6-month follow-up ( p = 0.02). BCVA improved (>5 letters) or remained stable (±5 letters) in 84% of eyes. Thirteen percent of eyes improved by ≥10 letters, while 16% of eyes lost more than 5 letters. There was no severe loss of vision (≥15 letters). Overall, retinal thickness, hard exudates, and leakage in FFA did not change significantly ( p > 0.05), while improvement of BCVA correlated with a reduction of hard exudates ( p = 0.01) and central retinal thickness ( p = 0.01). Specificity and sensitivity of detecting the angiographic visible threshold of RPE damage by optoacoustic measurements were 86% and 70% respectively. No adverse effects or pain were noted during or after treatment. Functional and anatomical improvement or stabilization was observed in most patients. SRT appears to be safe. Optoacoustic measurements accurately detect the individual threshold of RPE damage. A randomized trial is required to further test efficacy and safety of SRT as a treatment of clinically significant diabetic macular edema (DME). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For geographic atrophy (GA) due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) there is so far no approved treatment option. Usually, increased autofluorescence (AF) levels of different patterns adjacent to the atrophic area indicate lipofuscin-laden retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells at a high risk for apoptosis. Herein, SRT was used to selectively treat these cells to stimulate RPE proliferation, in order to reduce or ideally stop further growth of the atrophic area. Six eyes of six patients with bilateral equally pronounced GA were treated by SRT, while the fellow eye served as control. Irradiation was performed using a prototype SRT laser (Medical Laser Center Lübeck, Nd:YLF laser; 527 nm; 200 ns/1.7 µs pulse duration; 30 repetitive pulses at 100 Hz). Test lesions with increasing energies were applied at the lower vessel arcade to determine the individual angiographic and ophthalmoscopic threshold radiant exposures. Treatment was then performed in the area of increased AF adjacent to the GA using energies between both thresholds. The GA progression rates of treated and fellow eyes were evaluated. After a 1-year follow-up, a progression of the atrophic area was observed in the treated eyes (0.7–8.0 mm2/yr, mean 3.0 mm2/yr; 46%/yr) whereas the progression rates of the fellow eyes were insignificantly lower (0.46–4.04 mm2/yr, mean 1.9 mm2/yr; 30%/yr; p = 0.134). The progression rate in the treated eyes of two patients increased significantly, while in the other four patients, the progression rates were nearly the same between both eyes. Moreover, one of these two eyes showed an unexpected RPE reaction after treatment, since all laser lesions led to RPE atrophy and thus an accelerated enlargement of the GA occurred. SRT in the hyperautofluorescent areas of GA was not able to stop or slow down the progression of GA. However, modified treatment strategies might be more promising, e.g. placing the spots outside the hyperautofluorescent areas where RPE apoptosis is postulated. Moreover, SRT studies on GA might be more successfully performed on specific subgroups of GA, based on autofluorescence and other findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Der Ophthalmologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

· Background: The value of prophylactic photocoagulation of soft drusen is unclear. Photocoagulation is usually performed by a continuous wave laser. · Methods: We report the cases of two patients with age-related macular degeneration with soft drusen who were treated by selective retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) photocoagulation of a pulsed Nd:YLF (527 nm) laser. Laser parameters were: wavelength 527 nm, number of pulses in a train 500, pulse duration 1.7 µs, energy per pulse 70 µJ, spot size 160 µm, repetition rate 500 Hz. · Results: Dosimetry performed individually showed that in both patients laser photocoagulation was performed at the threshold of RPE disruption. None of the laser effects was visible during photocoagulation. They were detectable only by fluorescein angiography. Despite identical photocoagulation parameters the RPE reaction was completely different. In the first patient RPE hyperpigmentation was notable at most photocoagulation sites and the drusen had disappeared after 6 months. In the second patient the laser effects were not visible after 6 months by biomicroscopy and the drusen stayed unchanged. · Conclusion: These findings could reflect different repair mechanisms of the RPE after alteration and could represent a sign of a different viable stage in the life of RPE cells. Close attention should be paid to this phenomenon in the various drusen studies currently under way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

· Background: Conventional photocoagulation of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is often accompanied by visual loss due to thermal damage to adjacent retinal structures. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) allows vascular occlusion by selective photochemical destruction of vascular endothelial cells only. In a pilot study we evaluated the use of PDT in CNV. · Methods: In a clinical phase I/II trial, patients with subfoveal CNV were treated with PDT. Benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid ring A (BPD) was used as sensitizer at a drug dose of 6 mg/m2 or 12 mg/m2. Irradiation was performed via a diode laser emitting at 690 nm coupled into a slit lamp. Safe and maximum tolerated light doses were defined by dose escalation from 25 to 150 J/cm2. Photodynamic effects were documented ophthalmoscopically and angiographically. · Results: Sixty-one patients received a single course of BPD-PDT. Preliminary results suggest no damage to retinal structures within the treated area clinically. Retinal perfusion was not altered, while CNV demonstrated immediate absence of fluorescein leakage in the majority of lesions subsequent to PDT. At optimized parameters (6 mg/m2 and 50 J/cm2) complete cessation of leakage from classic CNV occurred in 100% of cases at 1 week and in 50% at week 4. In 70–80% of classic CNV, leakage reappeared at week 12, but markedly less than before treatment. · Conclusion: PDT allows temporary absence of leakage from CNV with preservation of visual acuity. The long-term prognosis of CNV secondary to age-related macular degeneration treated with repeated courses of PDT is being evaluated in a phase III trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether selective damage the RPE while sparing the adjacent photoreceptors is possible with repetitive 200-ns pulses of Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) and what potential side effects can be expected with higher pulse energies. • Methods: We irradiated the retinas of 19 eyes of 10 chinchilla rabbits with 500 pulses from a Nd:YAG laser, each 200 ns in duration, at a repetition rate of 500 Hz (158 μm, 0–120 μJ). Threshold curves for different effects were established. Representative lesions were investigated by light and transmission electron microscopy. • Results: It was possible to produce lesions, which were only visible by fluorescein angiography. The ED50 threshold energy per pulse for visibility by fluorescein angiography was 2.1 μJ per pulse, for visibility by ophthalmoscopy 8.6 μJ. Bubble formation, an uncommon phenomenon in retinal photocoagulation, occurred at energies of 15–25 μJ. Hemorrhage occurred at surprisingly high energy levels of more than 100 μJ. Histology performed on lesions visible only by angiography showed damage primarily to the RPE and outer segments, with very little damage to some inner segments dependent on the energy used. • Conclusions: Selective RPE damage is possible with repetitive 200-ns laser pulses and appropriate energy; however, the collateral damage to the adjacent retina is more pronounced than with repetitive microsecond laser pulses. There is no risk of hemorrhage of retinal photocoagulation with the repetitive 200-ns laser pulses at low energy levels which would be used clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser indirect ophthalmoscope (LIO) photocoagulation and transscleral photocoagulation through the conjunctiva and subconjunctiva were performed in the fundus of chinchilla gray rabbits using various exposure times and powers, and the thresholds for retinal blanching and choroidal hemorrhage were determined. The therapeutic range was described for both applications as the ratio between energy values to produce grayish white lesions and hemorrhage at 50% probability. The therapeutic range appeared to remain almost constant with different exposure times. The mean ratio with LIO was 3.2±0.28, similar to that with slit-lamp delivery reported in our previous study. The mean ratio with transscleral photocoagulation through the conjunctiva and subconjunctiva were 2.48 ± 0.28 and 2.38 ± 0.26, respectively. The variability of LIO appeared to be a little lower than with transscleral photocoagulation. There was no significant difference between the variability with transscleral photocoagulation through the conjunctiva and subconjunctiva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]