Choroidal neovascularization is the most frequent cause of severe visual loss in patients with senile macular degeneration. Despite the relatively good match of argon blue green radiation with the absorption peaks of oxyhemoglobin, direct treatment of neovascularization, particularly of the optic disk, with argon laser is often unsuccessful. The therapeutic ideal of laser photocoagulation in choroidal neovascularization would be to completely destroy the leaking neovascular membrane without damaging the overlying or surrounding sensory retina. Dye enhanced laser photocoagulation involves intravenous administration of a dye followed by laser therapy of ocular vessels. The dye chosen absorbs at a wavelength where the retinal pigment epithelium, RPE, is transmitting. With an appropriate choice of dye, laser wavelength and laser pulse duration, the choriocapillaries can be selectively heated without allowing the RPE to reach high temperatures. The treatment called selective photothermolysis has been shown to be successful in albino rabbit eye models.
| Destro, M; Puliafito, C A (1989) Indocyanine green videoangiography of choroidal neovascularization. Ophthalmology 96:846-53 |
