title: Clinicopathologic correlation of retinal angiomatous proliferation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate clinical and histopathologic features of an eye with retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) secondary to age-related macular degeneration and to investigate the expression of von Willebrand factor (VWF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histopathologic features from serial sections through the globe of an 87-year-old woman with RAP were studied and compared with fluorescein angiography and color fundus photographs obtained 4 months before death. Commercially available anti bodies were used to detect expression of VWF and VEGF in tissue sections.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pathologic correlate of RAP was a circumscribed intraretinal angiomatous complex within the outer part of the neurosensory retina overlying a large pigment epithelial detachment. There were no breaks in the Bruch membrane. No choroidal neovascularization was present. Endothelial cells within the RAP lesion immunostained positively for VWF and VEGF. The Bruch membrane expressed VWF adjacent to the RAP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fundus examination and fluorescein angiography images of RAP in a patient with age-related macular degeneration correlated histopathologically with a neovascular intraretinal angiomatous complex, without the presence of sub-retinal pigment epithelial neovascularization. Immunostaining demonstrated that RAP expresses VWF and VEGF.
authors.affiliation: Casey Eye Institute, Portland, OR 97239-4197, USA.
authors.forename: Dinelli M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Monson
authors.forename: Justine R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000798:Angiomatosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016570:Bruch Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications; D010781:Photography; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014841:von Willebrand Factor