Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and treatments.
OBJECTIVE
This review assesses the current knowledge of the clinical characteristics of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and treatments.


RESULTS
Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy is a disease with characteristic choroidal vascular abnormalities. Indocyanine green angiography is essential for diagnosis. The prevalence is higher in Asian people than in Caucasians. Photodynamic therapy is efficacious for treating polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy; 1-year results have shown greater benefit of photodynamic therapy than choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration. Recurrence, however, seriously affects vision long term during follow-up after photodynamic therapy. The lower efficacy of bevacizumab- a full-length antibody of vascular endothelial growth factor- has been shown for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and age-related macular degeneration have been known to share common genetic factors, its clinical characteristics including the different responses to photodynamic therapy suggest that polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy is a separate clinical entity from age-related macular degeneration. The results of photodynamic therapy for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy are encouraging; however, recurrence may affect vision over time. Therapeutic modalities to inhibit development of the exudative choroidal vasculature of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy are desirable.
Gomi
Fumi
F
Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan. fgomi@ophthal.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Tano
Yasuo
Y
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors