title: Etiology and treatment of choroidal neovascularization in pediatric patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the etiology, clinical features, and outcome of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively assessed 10 eyes of 8 patients younger than 18 years diagnosed with CNV. The main clinical parameters included predisposing ocular pathologies, best-corrected visual acuity before and after treatment, characteristics of CNV, and treatment modalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two boys and 6 girls with CNV and a mean age of 13.9 years (SD 1.9, range 11-16 years) were included. Two patients developed bilateral CNV within the follow-up time. The development of CNV was secondary to the following pathologies: choroidal osteoma (n = 3), pathologic myopia (n = 1), punctate inner choroidopathy (n = 1), hereditary macular dystrophy (n = 2), and angioid streaks (n = 1). Idiopathic CNV was diagnosed in 2 children without any obvious associated ocular pathology. In 9 eyes, CNV was treated by intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) administration (n = 6), photodynamic therapy (n = 1), or combination therapy (n = 3). One eye remained untreated because of advanced disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric CNV is a rare but sight-threatening retinal disease. So far, no standard treatment has been validated. Since the establishment of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy, laser coagulation and photodynamic therapy have lost their significance as therapy for CNV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg - Germany.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Studies (ZKS), University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg - Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg - Germany.
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helbig
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg - Germany.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oberacher-Velten
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000793:Angioid Streaks / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D002833:Choroiditis / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000080364:Multifocal Choroiditis; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; 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