Laser photocoagulation has played an important role in the treatment of fundus diseases. Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs have been widely used in recent years and have gradually become the main therapy for some diseases, it still cannot substitute laser photocoagulation. A combination of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and laser photocoagulation may optimize the treatment management and improve efficacy. With the development of technology, new laser equipment will certainly continue to appear and move towards minimally invasive automation and intellgentialization. Therefore, it is necessary for us to understand the current situation and trend of laser therapy in order to serve our patients better.
Objective To detect the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vitro induced by verteporfin-photodynamic therapy. Methods Cultured vascular endothelial cells and human RPE cells were incubated with verteporfin at a concentration of 1.0 mu;g/ml which was equivalent to the initial plasma level of verteporfin in clinical therapy. Each kind of cells were divided into 6 groups according to different time of incubation: 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes group. After incubated, the cells were illuminated by the laser light with the maximum wavelength of absorption of verteporfin (wavelength: 689 nm, power density: 600 mW/cm2) with the power of 2.4 J/cm 2for 83 seconds. The percentage of cellular apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry 3 hours after PDT, and the measurement was repeated thrice. Results The proportion of cellular apoptosis 3 hours after PDT were 0.01plusmn;0.01, 0.25plusmn;0.02, 0.32plusmn;0.02, 0.41plusmn;0.04, 0.49plusmn;0.03 and 0.61plusmn;0.02, respectively in 0-120 minutes group of vascular endothelial cells; and 0.02plusmn;0.01, 0.22plusmn;0.01, 0.31plusmn;0.02, 0.38plusmn;0.03, 0.47plusmn;0.05 and 0.58plusmn;0.03 respectively in 0-120 minutes group of RPE cells. The proportion of cellular apoptosis of both kinds of the cells increased as the incubation time was prolonged. There was no significant difference of the percentage of cellular apoptosis between the accordant time groups in the two kinds of cells (P＞0.05). Conclusions Cellular apoptosis can be quickly induced by verteporfin-PDT both in human vascular endothelial cells and RPE cells; under the same condition in vitro, PDT has no obvious selection for the apoptosis of the two kinds of cells. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2006, 22: 253-255)
Choroidal neovascularization is the leading causes of central vision loss in wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) patients. Smoking not only aggravates the incidence and severity of the choroidal neovascularization of wAMD, but also affects the clinical treatment, making the prognosis worse. Nicotine, as an important harmful substance in tobacco, is an easily addictive and highly toxic alkaloid. Animal experiments and clinical studies have confirmed that nicotine can aggravate wAMD by mediating angiogenesis through nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, bone marrow blasts, inflammation, complement system, etc. Therefore, in order to early take appropriate intervention measures to prevent and delay the development, we should actively explore the exact pathogenesis by which nicotine aggravates the choroidal neovascularization.
Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of photodynamic therapy（PDT）on choroidal neovascularization（CNV）with or without cystoid macular edema（CME）in patients with wet agerelated macular degeneration（AMD）. Methods The clinical data of 54 patients (54 eyes) with wet AMD who had undergone the standard PDT，including 16 patients（21 eyes）with CME and 28 patients（33 eyes）without CME were retrospectively analyzed. The visual acuity and BFT of patients were examined by early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) and optical coherence tomography（OCT）before and per three months after PDT. The follow up was 3-18 months with the mean of 8.3 months.Results At the last time of follow up, in CME group，ETDRS letter score was（29.429plusmn;17.907）and the BFT was （316.429plusmn;77.161）mu;m，compared with that before the treatment, the difference were statistically significant (t=-0.389，2.246；P＝0.701，0.019). In nonCME group, ETDRS letter score was (48.121plusmn;17.911) and the BFT was (244.667plusmn;37.619) mu;m, compared with that before the treatment, the difference were statistically significant (t=-3.424，6.880；P＝0.002，0.000). There were statistical significance for the change of ETDRS letter score and BFT between the two groups (t=-2.194，2.212；P＝0.033，0.031）). Conclusions Therapeutic effect of PDT on CNV with CME was better than without CME in patients with wet AMD.
Objective To observe the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathological myopia (PM).Methods Sixty-six patients (73 eyes) with CNV secondary to PM who had undergone PDT were enrolled in this study. PDT was performed according to the standard treatment. The patients received the examinations of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ophthalmoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and/or indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) before and after the treatment.Vision results were converted into logMAR records and compared before and after the treatment. The complete records of FFA were found in 52 eyes. FFA findings, treatment effects, were judged as well, moderate or poor according to the CNV leakage or bleeding, and CNV expanding or shrinking. The complete records of OCT were found in 11 eyes. CNV regional edema and foveal thickness were analyzed based on OCT examination.Results The mean logMAR BCVA after PDT treatment was 0.74plusmn;0.51 with no significant difference compared with before treatment (t=1.11, P=0.27). There were 18 eyes (24.7%) with improved vision, 43 eyes (58.9%) with stable vision, and 12 eyes (16.4%) with decreased vision. In 52 eyes with FFA findings, 39 eyes (75.0%) with well effect, 9 eyes (17.1%) with moderate effect, and 4 eyes (7.7%) with poor effect. OCT showed that after treatment the CNV regional edema subsided in most of eyes, and there were 7 (63.64%) with decreased foveal thickness, 2 (18.18%) with stable thickness, and 2 (18.18%) with increased thickness. Conclusions PDT is an effective treatment for CNV secondary to PM. It may improve or stabilize the visual acuity.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical outcome and therapeutic efficacy of short-pulse pattern scan laser (PASCAL) photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy (DR). MethodsForty-three DR patients (70 eyes) including 19 males (32 eyes) and 24 females (38 eyes) underwent short-pulse PASCAL pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP). There were 24 patients (42 eyes) with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and 19 patients (28 eyes) with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). The best corrected visual acuity was better than or equal to 0.1 in 62 eyes, worse than 0.1 in 8 eyes. Diabetic macular edema was found in 18 eyes. Short-pulse PASCAL PRP was applied with multi-spot arrays. Macular edema was treated by PASCAL macular mode (MAC A + MAC B) and/or single spot. Visual acuity and fundus examinations were analyzed at the one-year follow-up procedure. ResultsOne year after short-pulse PASCAL treatment, the final visual acuity was improved in 10 eyes, stable in 53 eyes, decreased in 7 eyes; macular edema was relieved in 38 eyes, aggravated in 12 eyes, and stable in 20 eyes. Of 42 eyes with PDR, neovascularization were regressed in 20 eyes, uncontrolled in 11 eyes which experienced additional photocoagulation (1-2 times) during the follow-up. Among the 11 uncontrolled eyes, 3 eyes (3/11) received vitrectomy due to vitreous hemorrhage. ConclusionPASCAL might stabilize the progress of diabetic retinopathy safely and effectively.