title: Unilateral choroidal excavation in the macula detected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report clinical findings of three patients with unilateral peculiar choroidal excavation in the macula detected by spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three cases with unilateral choroidal excavation in the macula detected by SD OCT. Fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (IA), ultrasonography, visual field tests and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although all three patients complained of metamorphopsia, visual acuity and central visual field were normal in the affected eyes. SD OCT demonstrated choroidal excavation in the macula despite a normal foveal contour along the inner retinal surface. The excavation involved the outer retinal layers up to the external limiting membrane in cases 1 and 2, while only the retinal pigment epithelium was involved in case 3. The excavation corresponded to foveal pigment mottling in cases 1 and 2 and to a parafoveal yellowish fusiform lesion in case 3. The lesions appeared hypoautofluorescent and unremarkable in FA except for circumferential hyperfluorescence in case 3 and hypofluorescent in IA. B-scan ultrasonography was unremarkable. MfERG in cases 1 and 2 was normal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SD OCT demonstrated two types of choroidal excavation in the macula. More case accumulation and a longer follow-up will elucidate the pathogenesis and prognosis of the lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Japan. y-waka@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp <y-waka@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp>
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashide
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ijiri
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green