Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate the characteristics of fundus autofluorescence (FAF) in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).
Methods: :
FAF images (excitation wavelength: 560 nm, barrier wavelength: 655 nm) were obtained from 44 eyes of 44 cases with unilateral PCV and 45 eyes of 45 cases with unilateral typical neovascular AMD using a fundus camera-based system (TRC-50DX; TOPCON Corp., Tokyo, Japan). No eyes had undergone any treatments for the neovascular lesions at the time of the FAF imaging. The diagnosis of PCV was made based on the presence of peculiar polypoidal lesions seen on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). The characteristics of FAF in PCV were investigated and were compared with those of typical neovascular AMD.
Results: :
Thirty-eight eyes (86.4%) with PCV presented well-demarcated hypo FAF corresponding to the polypoidal lesions on ICGA. The areas of branching network vessels on ICGA showed granular hypo FAF in all 45 eyes (100%). FAF abnormalities outside the macula were detected in 25 eyes (56.8%) with PCV and in 1 eye (2.2%) with typical neovascular AMD, respectively (P<0.0001).
Conclusions: :
In eyes of PCV, both the polypoidal lesions and the network vessels appeared to cause the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) damages. When compared to the eyes with typical neovascular AMD, the abnormal FAF outside the macula was found to be much more frequent in the eyes with PCV.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration