title: Improved visualization of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy lesions using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the tomographic features of vascular lesions beneath the retinal pigment epithelium in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Angiograms and images obtained using the prototype SD-OCT system were compared for 21 eyes of 21 patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy to identify sub-retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities visible on three-dimensional and enhanced SD-OCT images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On angiography, a branching vascular network and at least 1 polypoidal lesion were visible in all 21 eyes; 10 eyes also had pigment epithelial detachment (PED). SD-OCT revealed a thin straight line of high reflectivity-Bruch's membrane-associated with the branching vascular network in all 21 eyes, polypoidal lesions, 19 (90%) of the 21 eyes; and PED, 9 (90%) of the 10 eyes with PED. The vascular abnormalities of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (polypoidal lesion and branching vascular network) identified with angiograms were visualized on SD-OCT images in 20 of the 21 eyes (95%) as areas of moderate reflectivity between the clearly delineated abnormal section of retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch's membrane.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhanced SD-OCT imaging clearly depicted Bruch's membrane beneath areas of abnormal retinal pigment epithelium in the same locations where the vascular abnormalities of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were evident on angiography.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kawahara-cho, Shougoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hangai
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Akitaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsujikawa
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Nagahisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016570:Bruch Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity