Immunohitopathologic evaluation of choroidal neovacular membrane following Verteporfin-photodynamic therapy

Purpoe To evaluate the vacularization and proliferative activity in choroidal neovacular membrane due to age-related macular degeneration after verteporfin photodynamic therapy and ubmacular removal. Deign Interventional cae erie. Method In a retropective review of even patient who underwent removal of ubfoveal claic choroidal neovacular membrane after treatment with photodynamic therapy 3 to 146 day earlier, membrane were tained for CD 34, CD 105, and Ki-67 and correlated with clinical picture and fluorecein angiography. Reult Fluorecein angiography performed on the day of urgery dicloed nonperfuion of the treated area 3 day after photodynamic therapy, but perfuion and leakage were een at greater pot–photodynamic therapy interval. Membrane excied 3 day after photodynamic therapy howed CD34 and CD105 poitive, motly occluded veel. The endothelial cell appeared damaged. Ki-67 activity wa low. In membrane excied 34 to 146 day after photodynamic therapy, all veel appeared patent and were lined by healthy endothelial cell with trong expreion of CD34 and CD105. Ki-67 expreion wa elevated after 34 day but decreaed thereafter. Concluion Photodynamic therapy did not caue a general or complete occluion of veel within the choroidal neovacular membrane, a uggeted by fluorecein angiography 3 day potintervention, but the endothelial cell appeared to be everely damaged. Proliferative activity within thee pecimen wa reduced. At longer interval after photodynamic therapy, the fibrovacular tiue eemed to recover; perfuion, hyperfluorecence, and leakage of the choroidal neovacular membrane could be detected by fluorecein angiography. The clinical appearance howed a correlation with the immunohitologic characteritic of an increaed proliferative activity and patent vacularization.