title: Fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography for identifying occult choroidal neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether fluorescein angiography (FA) alone without indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) can identify and localize occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine eyes of 77 consecutive patients with occult CNV were evaluated independently by two skilled physicians at first with FA alone and then with FA combined with ICGA by fundus camera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The agreement between FA and ICGA was 73% and 68% for the two physicians (K=0.585 and 0.512, respectively). The first operator correctly identified 20/27 as plaque CNV; six had different sizes and locations. The second operator identified 25/30, with one mistaken for size and location. For focal CNV the first operator identified 34/39, and the second one 23/35.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparing the FA results with ICGA, CNV was correctly identified in about 60% of cases. Therefore, ICGA should be considered an indispensable diagnostic test to identify the presence, the type, and the location of occult CNV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital of Melegnano, Predabissi (MI), Italy. pece.retina@mclink.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pece
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sannace
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Menchini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virgili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brancato
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green