Effects of sodium pegaptanib intravitreal therapy in subjects affected by wet age-related macular degeneration not-responsive to photodynamic therapy: angiographic, OCT and microperimetric data.

Purpose: to evaluate the effects of antiangiogenic treatment with sodium pegaptanib intravitreal injections in subjects with wet age related macular degeneration (AMD) already treated with verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) and reactivation of choroideal neovascularization (CNV) Methods: 6 eyes with CNV due to AMD previously treated with PDT that showed new vessels and leakage at FA, were treated with an anti-VEGF, pegaptanib sodium. We performed 3 intravitreal injections (each 0.3 mg of drug) at distance of 6 weeks, a biweekly analisys by fundus-related microperimeter and OCT, and a monthly examination by FA Results: we observed in all patients a reduction of membrane size and leakage at FA, a reduction of membrane thickness at OCT and an increase of retinal sensitivity at microperimetric analisys. The treatment for CNV due to AMD with PDT is directed to the neovascularizations that proliferate and leak blood and fluid. The mean number of treatments to obtain a therapeutic success with this therapy is 5,4 in two years. However sometimes it is not efficacious. The anti-angiogenic agents target key mediators of the angiogenic cascade that leads to the development of neovascularization. This different mechanism of action can be useful in those patients not-responsive to PDT Conclusions: the effects of anti-angiogenic treatment with pegaptanib sodium intravitreal injections in subjects with wet AMD already treated with verteporfin PDT and reactivation of CNV are reduction of size,leakage and thickness of membrane and also an increase of retinal sensitivity