The noninvasive retro-mode imaging modality of confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a preliminary application.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the validity of the novel and noninvasive retro-mode imaging modality of confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) for detecting the morphological features of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).


METHODS
Prospective, observational, consecutive case series.


METHODS
Twenty-six patients (29 eyes) with PCV were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations and imaging studies, including retro-mode imaging, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). We investigated the retro-mode images and compared the results with those of SD-OCT, FFA and ICGA.


RESULTS
In the 29 PCV eyes, the retro-mode images clearly revealed polypoidal lesions in 27 (93.1%) eyes as well as branching vascular networks in 16 (55.2%) eyes. Others findings, including pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in 20 (69.0%) eyes, neuroretinal detachment (NRD) in 3 (10.3%) eyes, cystoid macular edema (CME) in 3 (10.3%) eyes, drusen in 4 (13.8%) eyes and minute granular changes of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in 12 (41.3%) eyes, were also clearly visualized. When we compared the results with those of SD-OCT, FFA and ICGA, there was no significant difference between ICGA and retro-mode imaging for finding polypoidal lesions and (or) branching choroidal vascular networks (P>0.05). However, the rate of PED detection was significantly better with retro-mode imaging than with the ICGA (P<0.05). The differences were not statistically significant between SD-OCT and retro-mode imaging for detecting PED, NRD, CME, drusen and minute granular RPE changes (P>0.05). The differences were not statistically significant between FFA and retro-mode imaging for detecting PED, NRD, CME (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The novel and noninvasive retro-mode imaging by cSLO is able to clearly visualize the morphological features of PCV.
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Renpan
R
Zeng
Xiongze
X
Zhang
Yu
Y
Su
Meng
M
Li
Kunfang
K
Wu
Feng
F
Wen
D000368:Aged; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*