Indocyanine green angiography-guided photocoagulation of choroidal neovascularization associated with retinal pigment epithelial detachment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine visual acuity outcome after indocyanine green angiography-guided laser photocoagulation of choroidal neovascularization associated with pigment epithelial detachment in eyes with age-related macular degeneration.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed pretreatment and posttreatment visual acuity after laser photocoagulation to well-demarcated hyperfluorescent areas seen with indocyanine green angiography adjacent to or within pigment epithelial detachments in 20 eyes of 20 patients with age-related macular degeneration and suspected choroidal neovascularization.


RESULTS
Visual acuity before and after laser photocoagulation was followed up for 3 to 24 months (median, 9 months). At 3 months after laser photocoagulation, visual acuity had improved 2 or more Snellen lines in two eyes (10%), worsened by 2 or more lines in 10 (50%), and remained unchanged in eight of 20 (40%). By 6 months after laser photocoagulation, visual acuity had improved by 2 or more lines in two eyes (12%), worsened by 2 or more lines in nine (53%), and remained unchanged in six of 17 (35%). At 9 months after laser photocoagulation, visual acuity had improved by 2 or more lines in one eye (9%), worsened by 2 or more lines in nine (82%), and remained unchanged in one of 11 (9%).


CONCLUSIONS
Indocyanine green angiography-guided laser photocoagulation may temporarily stabilize visual acuity in some eyes with choroidal neovascularization associated with pigment epithelial detachments, but final visual acuity decreases with time.
Lim
J I
JI
Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Jennifer.Lim@NCAL.KAIPERM.ORG
Aaberg
T M
TM
Capone
A
A
Sternberg
P
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green