Purpose
We reviewed the indications, safety, and efficacy of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in various macular diseases and
vasculopathies, which are common in Asian populations, and compared the outcomes of photodynamic therapy in Asian patients
with the outcomes in Caucasian patients.
Methods
Relevant clinical and laboratory original articles, case reports, and review articles that have been published in the literature
between January 1999 and October 2004 were searched in Medline. The potential differences in the response to photodynamic
therapy between Asian and Caucasian patients were evaluated. Articles in foreign languages with English abstracts were included.
Results
Macular diseases commonly seen in Asian populations, including choroidal neovascularization (CNV) of age-related macular degeneration,
secondary to pathologic myopia or from an idiopathic cause, and choroidal vasculopathies such as central serous chorioretinopathy
and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were included in the review. The results were tabulated and the differences with Caucasian
populations were compared and highlighted.
Conclusion
Photodynamic therapy has been found to be an effective and noninvasive treatment for various subfoveal CNV and choroidal vasculopathies
of the macula. Diverse behavior in different ethnic groups is observed. Jpn J Ophthalmol 2006;50:161–169 © Japanese Ophthalmological Society 2006
Key words Asian population - central serous chorioretinopathy - choroidal neovascularization - photodynamic therapy - polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy