Laser therapy and macular degeneration

Ugo Menchini; Gianni Virgili; Fabrizio Giansanti; Giovanni Giacomelli; Stefania Cappelli

doi:10.1117/12.446718

23 October 2001 Laser therapy and macular degeneration

Ugo Menchini, Gianni Virgili, Fabrizio Giansanti, Giovanni Giacomelli, Stefania Cappelli

Proceedings Volume 4606, Laser Florence 2000: A Window on the Laser Medicine World; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.446718
Event: Laser Florence 2000: A Window on the Laser Medicine World, 2000, Florence, Italy

Abstract

Among macular diseases, choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is one of the most common causes of visual loss, especially in the form associated with age-related macular degeneration and pathologic myopia. Research on these diseases has recently evaluated new treatment modalities that use laser light differently; among these, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been introduced in the clinical practice, allowing us to expand the possibility of reducing visual loss in patients affected by CNV. With PDT, a photosensitizer (verteporfin, Visudyne^TM) is injected intravenously, and it selectively binds to new vessels; low-power laser light exposure then activates the drug, leading to oxidative damage of the endothelium and new vessels thrombosis. Yet, other therapies, such as transpupillary termotherapy, or the use of photocoagulation to cause feeder-vessel occlusion, could proof effective, but they need further investigation.

Citation Download Citation

Ugo Menchini, Gianni Virgili, Fabrizio Giansanti, Giovanni Giacomelli, and Stefania Cappelli "Laser therapy and macular degeneration", Proc. SPIE 4606, Laser Florence 2000: A Window on the Laser Medicine World, (23 October 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.446718

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