Prevalence and clinical correlates of focal choroidal excavation in eyes with age-related macular degeneration, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and central serous chorioretinopathy.
To describe the prevalence and clinical characteristics of focal choroidal excavation (FCE) in patients with exudative maculopathy due to age-related macular degeneration with choroidal neovascularisation (AMD-CNV), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).



Three hundred and forty-three patients (343 presenting eyes and 255 fellow unaffected eyes) from consecutive patients presenting with untreated AMD-CNV, PCV or CSC are prospectively recruited. Two independent retinal specialists masked to the clinical diagnosis graded the presence of FCE by examining the findings from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The frequency and clinical characteristics of FCE in each of the three clinical diagnosis groups were compared.



The diagnosis in the presenting eye was AMD-CNV in 92 patients, PCV in 149 patients, retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) in 3 patients and CSC in 99 patients; 255 fellow eyes free of clinical diseases were also graded. The prevalence of FCE was 2.3% (total 14 eyes; 10 presenting eyes, 4 fellow eyes) out of 598 eyes examined. In presenting eyes, FCE was most prevalent in PCV (6.0%), followed by AMD-CNV (1.0%) and CSC (0%), p=0.02. In fellow eyes, the prevalence of FCE was 2.9%, 0% and 1.2% in patients with PCV, AMD-CNV and CSC, respectively. Eyes with FCE had a significantly longer axial length (24.93±1.65 mm vs 23.49±1.10 mm, p<0.001), but otherwise, all other characteristics were similar.



FCE is more common in PCV than AMD-CNV and CSC. Disturbance in the choroid/retinal pigment epithelium/Bruch membrane interface affected by FCE may be linked to the pathogenesis of PCV and AMD-CNV.
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Fiona Pin Miao
FP
Lim
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Chee Wai
CW
Wong
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Boon Kwang
BK
Loh
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Choi Mun
CM
Chan
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.|Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Ian
I
Yeo
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.|Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Shu Yen
SY
Lee
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Ranjana
R
Mathur
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Doric
D
Wong
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.|Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Tien Yin
TY
Wong
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.|Ophthalmology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.|Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.|Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Chui Ming Gemmy
CM
Cheung
D000368:Aged; D056833:Central Serous Chorioretinopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity
Choroid; Imaging; Retina