Clinical significance of postlaser indocyanine green angiographic hot spots in age-related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To report the natural history and clinical significance of indocyanine green (ICG) angiographic hot spots in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) after laser photocoagulation.


METHODS
Retrospective noncomparative case series.


METHODS
Two hundred thirty consecutive patients with exudative ARMD who underwent krypton laser treatment between March 1993 and December 1996.


METHODS
Krypton laser photocoagulation was performed on all patients. Digital videoangiograms, including both fluorescein angiography and ICG angiography, were obtained at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months postlaser treatment on each patient and repeated if clinical changes were noted.


METHODS
Detection by ICG of hyperfluorescent spots (hot spots) within the hypofluorescent laser-treated area.


RESULTS
Forty patients (18%) developed ICG hot spots 2 weeks after laser treatment. The hot spots disappeared spontaneously without recurrent choroidal neovascular (CNV) membrane in 31 patients (78%). Recurrent CNV was discovered at the hot spot in four patients and away from the hot spot in five patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The postlaser ICG angiographic hot spot is not rare. These spots tend to disappear spontaneously and do not necessarily represent a recurrent CNV. The presence of a hot spot on ICG angiography is not an indication for immediate laser retreatment.
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies