The Effect of Triple Therapy on Patients with Subretinal Hemorrhage Accompanied by Choroidal Neovascularization

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To presents the effect of triple therapy including C3F8 gas injection, intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and photodynamic therapy on patients with subretinal hemorrhage accompanied by choroidal neovascularization. METHODS: Twelve eyes of 12 patients suffering from subretinal hemorrhage accompanied by choroidal neovascularization with onset of the symptom within a week prior to three-day prone positioning after C3F8 gas injection were included in the present study. Next, intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and photodynamic therapy was performed. Then, within two months, intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab injection was performed. RESULTS: After stabilization of the submacular hemorrhagic lesion, ten eyes of ten patients showed improved visual acuity, one eye showed no improvement, and decreased visual acuity developed in one patient. LogMAR visual acuity improved after the initial treatment from 1.05 +/- 0.43 to 0.74 +/- 0.58 and 0.53 +/- 0.51 at three and six months, respectively. The improvement was considered to be clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: An appropriate regimen for treating broad submacular hemorrhage accompanied by choroidal neovascularization has not been established. The authors of the patients had obtained positive results from C3F8 gas injection, intravitreal anti-VEGF injection and photodynamic therapy. In the future, additional studies should be conducted.