Clinicopathologic correlations of surgically excised type 1 and type 2 submacular choroidal neovascular membranes.
OBJECTIVE
To correlate the histologic and clinical classification of type 1 (subretinal pigment epithelium) and type 2 (subsensory retina) choroidal neovascularization.


METHODS
Ten eyes of 10 patients with surgically excised choroidal neovascularization that were routinely processed and could be histologically classified as having a type 1 or type 2 configuration were studied. The patients were clinically classified as having type 1 or type 2 choroidal neovascularization according to preoperative fundus appearance of both eyes and patient age. The histologic and clinical classifications were made in a masked fashion, and the results were compared.


RESULTS
The histologic classification was type 1 and type 2 for three and seven specimens, respectively. The clinical classification matched the histologic classification in nine of 10 cases. Clinical fundus characteristics that distinguished type 2 choroidal neovascularization included a subretinal pigmented halo or pigmented plaque in the area of the choroidal neovascularization and sharply defined borders. Patients with type 1 membranes were on average older (76 years) than patients with type 2 membranes (53 years).


CONCLUSIONS
It is generally possible to clinically ascertain by clinical fundus appearance and age of a patient whether subfoveal choroidal neovascularization represents a type 1 or type 2 configuration.
Grossniklaus
H E
HE
Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. ophtheg@emory.edu
Gass
J D
JD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea; D008297:Male; D008566:Membranes / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology