Retinal pigment epithelial tear following photodynamic therapy for choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD

Purpose To describe retinal pigment epithelial tear following photodynamic therapy (PDT) for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Retrospective interventional case series. Methods A retrospective study in an institutional practice. We describe seven cases of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tear, which developed in seven eyes of seven patients following PDT. All eyes had subfoveal CNV secondary to AMD. Results Six eyes had occult subfoveal CNV, and one eye had recurrent classic subfoveal CNV. In five patients, the eye that developed the tear was the second eye, whereas the first eye had a disciform scar. In four eyes, the RPE tear developed after one PDT, in one eye the RPE tear developed after the second PDT, and in two eyes the RPE tear developed after the third PDT. In five of seven cases, there was a significant visual deterioration following the RPE tear. Conclusions RPE tear is a complication that may occur following PDT in particular when the PDT is applied to an occult subfoveal CNV.