Evolution of retinal pigment epithelium detachment after photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE. To report a case of pigment epithelium detachment (PED) which appeared after photodynamic therapy (PDT) and was followed up for 50 months. METHODS. Case report. RESULTS. A 71-year-old woman with occult choroidal neovascular membrane due to age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) developed PED 48 hours after PDT. The patient was studied with fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Fluorescein angiographic evidence of PED remained essentially unchanged during the follow-up period of 50 months. Although OCT initially gave clear evidence of PED, in the last 12 months of follow-up the PED appears to have resolved. CONCLUSIONS. Photodynamic treatment could be involved in the occurrence of PED in occult choroidal neovascular membrane due to ARMD. In this particular case OCT could be considered since it offers useful information in the pretreatment and the post-treatment follow-up period.