title: VISUAL RECOVERY AFTER AUTOLOGOUS RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIUM AND CHOROIDAL PATCH IN A PATIENT WITH CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION SECONDARY TO ANGIOID STREAKS: LONG-TERM RESULTS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a successfully treated case of autologous retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal patch in a patient with choroidal neovascularization secondary to angioid streaks.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 53-year-old man with angioid streaks and a subfoveal choroidal neovascularization underwent autologous retinal pigment epithelium and choroid transplantation. Lensectomy, pars plana vitrectomy, 200° peripheral temporal retinotomy, isolation of the patch, endolaser, and silicone oil tamponade 1,000 cts were performed. Preoperative and postoperative ophthalmic examinations included best-corrected visual acuity, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two months after surgery, best-corrected visual acuity (Snellen equivalent) improved from 20/200 to 20/100. At 6 months, best-corrected visual acuity further increased to 20/40 and the reading ability, which was absent preoperatively, improved to J2. Visual results were maintained after 2.5 years and no recurrence of choroidal neovascularization was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transplantation of a full-thickness patch of retinal pigment epithelium and choroid under the fovea may be considered to prevent retinal atrophy with significant visual improvement in the case of a low active choroidal neovascularization secondary to angioid streaks. Moreover, preoperative optical coherence tomography might guide in highlighting those patients in whom the outer retinal layers are still visible as the best candidate for surgery.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, S. Anna Hospital, Brescia, Italy; and †IRCCS Multimedica, San Giuseppe Hospital, University Eye Clinic, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parolini
authors.forename: Micol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alkabes
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: Sajish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinackatt
mesh_terms: D000793:Angioid Streaks / Q000150:complications*; D002829:Choroid / Q000637:transplantation*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000637:transplantation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods