title: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in patients aged less than 50 years: characteristics and 6-month treatment outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the characteristics and 6-month treatment outcome of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in patients aged <50 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study included 22 eyes from 22 patients who were <50 years old and had been diagnosed with treatment naïve PCV. Analyses of treatment outcome were performed in eyes treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. Eyes that exhibited submacular hemorrhage of ≥1 disc diameter and involving the fovea were included in the hemorrhage group. The remaining eyes were included in the no-hemorrhage group. The baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was compared with that at 6 months within each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 22 patients was 46.5 ± 1.8 (range, 43-49) years. Submacular hemorrhage was noted in ten eyes (45.5 %). The presence of drusen was noted in one eye and pseudodrusen was not noted in any of the eyes included. Treatment outcome was analyzed in 18 eyes. A mean number of 2.9 ± 0.5 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were administered during the 6-month follow-up period. In the no-hemorrhage group (n = 10), the BCVA at diagnosis and at 6 months was 0.55 ± 0.32 and 0.35 ± 0.22 respectively (P = 0.011). In the hemorrhage group (n = 8), the values were 0.99 ± 0.45 and 0.74 ± 0.63 respectively (P = 0.128).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A relatively high proportion of young PCV patients exhibited submacular hemorrhage at initial presentation. In those without submacular hemorrhage, intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy was found to be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea. kimoph@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jae Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Gon
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chul Gu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, #156 Youngdeungpo-dong 4ga, Youngdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-034, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068258:Bevacizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000069579:Ranibizumab / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000175:diagnosis; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab
keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor; Choroidal neovascularization; Hemorrhage; Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy; Young patients