Retinal microangiopathies overlying pigment epithelial detachment in age-related macular degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate alterations in the retinal vasculature overlying pigment epithelial detachments (PED) in exudative age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) using indocyanine green and fluorescein angiography.


METHODS
Forty-one patients (41 eyes) with a clinical diagnosis of exudative ARMD with PED underwent simultaneous fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, also under high (10 degrees ) magnification. Vascular abnormalities in the retina were compared between patients with vascularized (n = 34, group 1) and nonvascularized (n = 7, group 2) PED on indocyanine green angiography and correlated with the size of the PED and the presence of serous retinal detachment.


RESULTS
In all, 67 vascular abnormalities were found by indocyanine green angiography and only 22 by fluorescein angiography; this finding was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). The finding of retinal vasculopathy (32 patients in group 1 and two patients in group 2) was directly correlated with the presence of choroidal neovascularizations (P = 0.002). There was also a direct correlation between the presence of choroidal neovascularization and size of the PED (P = 0.03). The number of retinal vascular findings was not significantly correlated with serous elevation of the retina.


CONCLUSIONS
Retinal vasculopathies may be observed in eyes with PED and are detectable by indocyanine green and fluorescein angiography.
Weinberger
Dov
D
Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Lichter
Henia
H
Goldenberg-Cohen
NitzaI
N
Priel
Ethan
E
Bahar
Irit
I
Yassur
Yuval
Y
Axer-Siegel
Ruth
R
D000368:Aged; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D007208:Indocyanine Green