The prevalence of retinal angiomatous proliferation in age-related macular degeneration with occult choroidal neovascularization.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) by means of dynamic indocyanine green angiography (d-ICGA) in patients with newly diagnosed fibrovascular pigment epithelium detachment (type 1) or late leakage of undetermined source (type 2) occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV) on fluorescein angiography.


METHODS
We carried out a review of digital fluorescein and ICG angiograms obtained by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (HRA; Heidelberg Engineering GmbH, Dossenheim, Germany) in 253 consecutive patients (270 eyes) with a clinical diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 occult CNV on fluorescein angiography (1998 through 2003).


RESULTS
Sixty eyes had type 1 and 210 eyes type 2 occult CNV on fluorescein angiography. Overall, 57 cases of RAP were identified in 54 eyes (20%) with d-ICGA. RAP was present in 6 out of 60 eyes with type 1 (10%) and in 51 out of 210 eyes with type 2 occult CNV (24%). Mean distance of the lesion from the fovea was 682 +/- 304 microm (mean +/- SD).


CONCLUSIONS
d-ICGA is invaluable for early diagnosis of RAP in exudative age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). In our series, up to one fourth of type 2 occult CNV were in fact RAP.
Massacesi
Amedeo L
AL
Ophthalmology Department, S. Giuseppe Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Sacchi
Laura
L
Bergamini
Fulvio
F
Bottoni
Ferdinando
F
D000368:Aged; D001163:Arteriovenous Anastomosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000175:diagnosis; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology
D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green