Abstract
Purpose::
To evaluate the features of eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in the early stages of the disease.
Methods::
The medical records of 112 patients diagnosed with PCV between 1998 and 2005 at Kagoshima University Hospital, Japan were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with a history of fundus lesion treatment in the affected eye, choroidal neovascularization with a classical component, and lesions with the greatest linear dimension exceeding two disc diameters were excluded from the study.
Results::
Twenty-eight eyes of 27 Japanese PCV patients met the study criteria. Polypoidal structures were mainly located in the macular area in 25 of 28 eyes, and associated vascular networks were found in 11 eyes but not in 17 eyes. In the eyes without vascular networks, choroidal veins showing focal hyperpermeability were often found adjacent to polypoidal structures. Pulsatile movement was observed in 6 eyes. Fourteen eyes were treated and the remaining 14 eyes were untreated. Stable or improved vision was attained in 64.3% and 92.9% of non-treated and treated groups, respectively. Rapid expansion of the lesion size was not observed except for one eye.
Conclusions::
In PCV cases with small lesions and without a history of fundus lesion treatment or choroidal neovascularization with a classical component, a vascular network is not always found. In the cases without a vascular network, choroidal veins showing focal hyperpermeability are often seen adjacent to polypoidal structures. These findings, together with the other findings seen in this study, may provide hints of the pathogenesis of PCV.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration