Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To evaluate the long–term clinical features of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Japanese patients. Methods: Forty six eyes of 36 consecutive patients with PCV were prospectively followed in our hospital for at least 3 years after a first visit to the hospital between 1994–2000. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examination and fluorescein and indocianine angiography at regular intervals. Results: Patients were followed for mean of 68.4 months (range, 38–132 months). PCV was present in 24 male and 14 female in the elderly (mean age 71.0 years). Polypoidal vascular lesions were located mainly in the macula (80% of the eyes). Retinal manifestations of PCV were characterized by subretinal hemorrhage(82%), hemorrhagic retinal pigment epithelium detachment to 22 eyes (65%) in serous retinal pigment epithelium detachment to nine eyes (26%), serous retinal detachment (59%). There were few subretinal fibrovascular proliferation (9%). We performed laser photocoagulation and/or vitreous surgery in 36 eyes (78%) and followed 20 eyes without treatment. Final mean visual acuity was 0.14 and visual acuity at first visit was 0.25. There was no significant difference of visual acuity outcome between a group of laser photocoagulation and/or vitreous surgery and a group of non–treatment. Few eyes (11% of eyes) appeared PCV in the fellow eye during follow–up. Conclusions: PCV is a long persistent chronic disease and patients had a variable course. The clinical course was comparatively good and laser photocoagulation seems to be effective for PCV in some instances. Eyes with a cluster of grapes–like polypoidal delatations of the vessels had a high risk for severe visual loss. It is important to do careful long–term follow–up with both eyes because few eyes (11% of eyes) appeared PCV in the fellow eye.
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • choroid: neovascularization • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: outcomes/complications