Patchy atrophy and lacquer cracks predispose to the development of choroidal neovascularisation in pathological myopia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and predisposing findings for choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) in a large series of highly myopic patients.


METHODS
The medical records of 218 consecutive patients (325 eyes) with myopic fundus changes in the macula were reviewed. The incidence of CNV during a follow up of at least 3 years of highly myopic patients and identification of predisposing findings for the development of myopic CNV were examined.


RESULTS
Among 325 highly myopic eyes examined, 33 eyes (10.2%) developed myopic CNV. The incidence was higher (34.8%) among the fellow eyes of patients with pre-existing CNV than among eyes of patients without pre-existing CNV (6.1%). CNV developed in 3.7% with diffuse chorioretinal atrophy, in 20.0% with patchy atrophy, and in 29.4% with lacquer cracks.


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately one in 10 highly myopic eyes developed myopic CNV in average 130.2 months. Patchy atrophy and lacquer cracks were shown to be important predisposing findings for CNV development.
Ohno-Matsui
K
K
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. k.ohno.oph@med.tmd.ac.jp
Yoshida
T
T
Futagami
S
S
Yasuzumi
K
K
Shimada
N
N
Kojima
A
A
Tokoro
T
T
Mochizuki
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology