Risk of Neovascularization in the Fellow Eye of Patients With Unilateral Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation

Abstract

Purpose: : Retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) represents a distinct form of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It reportedly accounts for ~10% of newly diagnosed exudative AMD and is usually considered to have a greater associated risk of second eye involvement. Aim of the present study is to determine the risk of neovascularization in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral RAP.

Methods: : A consecutive series of 21 patients with unilateral RAP were studied retrospectively. Fundus examination, fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography were used to evaluate all patients for the development of neovascular lesions in the fellow eye.

Results: : Mean follow-up period was 29 months (range 7- 67). Only 4 patients (19%) developed neovascular manifestations of RAP in the fellow eye. One of them developed the lesion within 1 year from the diagnosis in the first eye; 2 within 2 years and 1 within 3 years. Of these 4 patients, the 2 with a multifocal RAP in the first eye developed the same type of neovascularization in the fellow eye.

Conclusions: : In our case series the annual and accumulative risk of neovascularization in the fellow eye was not higher than in patients with other forms of neovascular AMD.In bilateral RAP both eyes tend to have the same form of lesion (unifocal/multifocal).

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • neovascularization • retina