Selective Retina Therapy (SRT) in Patients With Idiopathic Central Serous Retinopathy

September 29, 2009 updated by: University of Kiel

Selective Retina Therapy (SRT) in Patients With Idiopathic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Selective Retina Therapy (SRT) for treating acute idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (ICSC). Patients with acute symptomatic ICSC of at least 3 months duration were recruited. The patients were randomized by equal terms to SRT- (Treatment) and control group. After 3 months follow up patients of control group with persistence of disease activity were allocated to crossover group and received either SRT. Crossover group was followed up for further 3 months.

The primary outcome measure of the study are the serial changes in Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letterscore and edema in optical coherence tomography (OCT) at 3 months. Secondary outcome measures included the proportion of eyes with complete absorption of subretinal fluid, leakage in fluorescein angiography and the systemic and ocular complications during the study at 3 months.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (ICSC) is characterized by a serous detachment of the neurosensory retina in the macular region secondary to a focal or retinal pigment epithelial defect. Patients with ICSC, oftentimes young male adults, experience visual disturbances including micropsia, metamorphopsia, central scotoma, reduced visual acuity and loss of contrast sensitivity. Most cases of ICSC are presumed to be self-limiting and usually resolve spontaneously within 3 to 4 months.Nevertheless the duration of the disease is strongly related to the vision prognosis and reattachment within 4 months of onset is considered as a relevant therapeutic target because prolonged detachment is associated with photoreceptor atrophy.

The therapeutic effect of focal cw laser photocoagulation has not been fully established. One obvious theory postulates that the beneficial effect of photocoagulation is associated with the establishment of a new barrier of RPE cells which subsequently reintegrate the RPE pump function and the integrity of the RPE as a barrier. Based on this theory, the destruction of tissues surrounding the RPE, in particular Bruch's membrane, the choroid and the photoreceptors, would be an unwanted side effect. On the basis of this consideration Selective Retina Therapy (SRT), which is a innovative laser technology that selectively damages the RPE and spares the neurosensory retina, suggests itself as an ideal treatment for ICSC with focal leakage, especially if the RPE leak is located close to the fovea.

It has been proved as safe, and microperimetry has shown that SRT does not cause microscotoma. SRT has already been adopted in the treatment of diverse macular diseases inter alia in patients with ICSC with promising performance.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Schleswig-Holstein
      • Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, 24105
        • Department of Ophthalmology

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Anamnestic reduction of visual acuity
  • Atients with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/200 or better
  • Presence of subretinal fluid (SRF) on optical coherence tomography (OCT)
  • Presence of active angiographic (multi)focal leakage in fluorescein angiography (FA) caused by ICSC but not choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) or other diseases
  • Absence of other retinal or ocular diseases (e. g. glaucoma, vessel diseases, vein occlusion or proliferative retinopathy)
  • Absence of cataract or media opacities of a degree which precludes taking retinal photographs and FA's
  • Absence of angle closure glaucoma which precludes pharmacological dilatation of the pupil.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who received any previous treatment, including PDT or focal cw laser photocoagulation for ICSC, or who had evidence of CNV, PCV, or other maculopathy on clinical examination or FA were excluded.
  • Patients receiving exogenous corticosteroid treatment, with systemic diseases such as Cushing's disease or renal diseases, and pregnant patients also were excluded.
  • Informed consent was obtained from all subjects, and the study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Kiel.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Selective Retinatherapy (SRT)
Treatment was performed with the SRT-Laser system (Medical Laser Center Lübeck, Germany), which consists of a Q-switched frequency doubled Nd:YLF laser (527nm), operating with a pulse repetition rate of 100 Hz. The pulse duration (full width at half maximum) was 1.7 µs. The laser energy was transmitted via fiber to a Lumenis slitlamp allowing the application of a fixed spot size diameter of 200 µm in air. A Mainster central field contact lens with a magnification of 1.05 was used for all irradiations. Per foot switch, 30 pulses are emitted, the pulse energy was chosen by the physician up to a maximum of 370 µJ. According to the treatment protocol, prior to each treatment 5 test shots with increasing energy were applied adjacent to the vessel arcades, in each patient in order to determine the appropriate pulse energy for treatment by recording the OA-value.
SRT (pulsed double-Q-switched Nd-YLF laser, wavelength 527 nm, t=1.7 µs, energy 100-370 μJ).
Other Names:
  • SRT-Laser system (Medical Laser Center Lübeck, Germany)
No Intervention: control group
Patients randomized to control group achieve no treatment and are followed up for three months.
Experimental: crossover
After 3 months follow up patients of control group with persistence of disease activity were allocated to crossover group and received either SRT. Crossover group was followed up for further 3 months.
SRT (pulsed double-Q-switched Nd-YLF laser, wavelength 527 nm, t=1.7 µs, energy 100-370 μJ).
Other Names:
  • SRT-Laser system (Medical Laser Center Lübeck, Germany)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Serial changes in ETDRS letterscore
Time Frame: 3 months
3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The maximum distance between the RPE and the outer neurosensory retina in the area of Subretinal fluid accumulation
Time Frame: 3 months
3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Study Director: Johann J Roider, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology University of Kiel

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

April 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 29, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

September 30, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 30, 2009

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 29, 2009

Last Verified

September 1, 2009

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • SRT_CSC_Kiel

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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