title: Surgical excision of neovascularization in retinal angiomatous proliferation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report the postoperative outcomes of surgical neovascularization excision in patients with retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine eyes of eight patients with RAP who underwent surgical excision of neovascularization were studied. Surgical indications were as follows: RAP diagnosed by fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, foveal or perifoveal neovascularization, preoperative visual acuity of 0.1 or less, Yannuzzi's stage II with detachment of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or stage III, and leakage on late-phase fluorescein angiography. After cataract surgery, vitreous surgery and neovascularization excision were conducted, followed by fluid-air or fluid-gas exchange.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Visual acuity was 0.02-0.1 before surgery and 0.03-0.2 after surgery. Macular hole formation was seen in one eye but did not lead to retinal detachment. In two eyes, subretinal bleeding occurred during excision leading to vitreous bleeding after surgery. Although defects of the RPE and choriocapillaries were observed after surgery, the exudation and bleeding were absorbed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In stage II RAP cases with RPE detachment, surgical excision maintains constant postoperative visual acuity but results in defects of RPE and choriocapillaris; therefore, other treatment options should be examined. Surgical excision of stage III RAP seems to be promising, as postoperative visual acuity remains stable after neovascularization removal in those advanced pathologic situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan. sshimada@olive.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Ryuzaburo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Akiyuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Mitsuko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuzawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity