title: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and retinochoroidal anastomosis in Japanese patients eligible for photodynamic therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the percentage of Japanese patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who are eligible for photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin who have either polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) or choroidal neovascularization (CNV) with retinochoroidal anastomosis (RCA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical charts of 82 consecutive patients (83 eyes) with subfoveal CNV due to AMD were reviewed. Initially, we determined which of these eyes were eligible for PDT by using the criteria reported by two large randomized control studies, that is, the Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration with Photodynamic Therapy (TAP) study and the Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy (VIP) study. Among the PDT-eligible patients, the percentage of eyes with PCV or CNV with RCA was determined by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 36 eyes (43%) of the 83 eyes were PDT-eligible; 17 (20%) based on the TAP study criteria, and 19 (23%) based on the VIP study criteria. Among these PDT-eligible eyes, ICGA revealed that 12 (33%) had PCV and 2 (6%) had CNV with RCA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With ICGA, PCV or CNV with RCA were recognized in a substantial proportion of cases eligible for PDT based on the two clinical studies. Considering that the treatment efficacy of PDT for PCV or RCA has not been established, detection of PCV or RCA prior to PDT with ICGA is highly recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. robata-tky@umin.ac.jp.|Department of Ophthalmology, Saitama Red-Cross Hospital, Saitama, Japan. robata-tky@umin.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yanagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kami
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001163:Arteriovenous Anastomosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000077362:Verteporfin
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin