Retina-Vitreous
1998 , Vol 6 , Num 2
The Role Of Radiotherapy In The Management Of Subfoveal Subretinal Neovascular Membranes Associated With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Results Of Iodine- 125 Plaque Brachytherapy
Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Göz Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Ankara
The effects of radiotherapy and Iodine-125 plaque brachyterapy, a very specific procedure of radiation delivery, in the management of subfoveal subretinal neovascular membranes, a leading cause of significant visual impairment, have been assesed in this study. Seven patients (7 eyes) with active neovascular membranes received plaque brachytherapy. The innermost surface of the membrane was selected as the target plane and 1500-1900 cGy radiation was prescribed for 20-55 hours. Drung a follow-up of 8 to 20 months, four patients had a slight increase in visual acuity, and five patients had a prominent dimunition in their central scotomas. Two patients become able to benefit from low vision aid spectacles. Our short term experience demonstrated that plaque brachytherapy can arrest the progression of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes and slightly improve the visual function of some patients.
Keywords :
Age-relatedmaculardegeneration, neovascularization, radiotherapy, brachytherapy