Objective To compare the clinical results of photodynamic therapy(PDT) and transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) for patients with choroidal neovascu larization caused by exudative age-related macular degeneration. Methods Seventy cases (82 eyes) with exudative AMD were divided into PDT and TTT groups. Thirty-five cases (42 eyes) were treated with PDT. Nineteen eyes had occult or predominantly occult CNV. Twenty-three eyes had classic or predominantly classic CNV. Thirty-five cases (40 eyes) were treated with TTT. Twenty-five eyes had occult or predominantly occult CNV. Fifteen eyes had classic or predominantly classic CNV . Visual acuity, FFA, ICGA and OCT were evaluated before and after treatment. All cases were subfoveal or juxtafoveal CNV. The follow-up was 3-6 months. Results Visual acuity in 3 eyes (15.8％) of PDT group and 1 eye (4.0％) in TTT group increased at least 2 lines. The difference was no significant(P=0.1778), FFA showed cessation or reduction of fluorescein leakage from CNV in 15 eyes(78.9％) in PDT group and 13 eyes(52.0％) in TTT group. The difference was not significant (P=0 .0657). Three months after treatment, The visual acuity of 2 eyes(10.5％) in PDT group and 2 eyes (8.0％) in TTT group increased at least 2 lines. The difference was not significant (P=0.7728). FFA showed cessation or reduction of fluorescein leakage from CNV in 8 eyes(42.1％) in PDT group and 21 eyes(84.0％) in TTT group. The difference was significant (P=0.0037). Conclusion For classic CNV, the short-term effect of PDT is better than TTT concerning visual acuity. The effect of PDT is apparently better than TTT in cessation or reduction of fluorescein leakage one month after treatment. But there was no significant difference between PDT and TTT in cessation or reduction of fluorescein leakage three month after treatment. For occult CNV, there is no significant short-term difference between PDT and TTT concerning visual acuity. There was no significant difference between PDT and TTT in cessatin or reduction of fluorescein leakage one month after treatment. But three month after treatment TTT is apparently better than PDT in cessation or reduction of fluorescein leakage. We need more cases and longer follow-up to evaluate these two kinds of treatments in treating exudative age-related macular degeneration.(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2004，20：285-288)