title: FOCAL CHOROIDAL EXCAVATION AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH PACHYCHOROID SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A Review of the Literature and Multimodal Imaging Findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the literature regarding focal choroidal excavation and show its association with pachychoroid features through case examples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical manifestations of focal choroidal excavation are illustrated with various imaging modalities inclusive of fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), enhanced depth imaging OCT, and swept-source OCT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diffuse or focal areas of choroidal thickening with dilated choroidal vessels (pachyvessels) on OCT and choroidal hyperpermeability on indocyanine green angiography are present in many eyes with focal choroidal excavation. Clinical and imaging features of associated comorbidities including central serous chorioretinopathy and choroidal neovascularization are described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Focal choroidal excavation appears to be a manifestation of pachychoroid spectrum disease associated with choroidal thickening and pachyvessels on structural OCT and choroidal hyperpermeability on indocyanine green angiography.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; †Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, New York, New York; ‡Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; §The LuEsther T. Mertz Retinal Research Center, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, New York, New York; and ¶Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Medical School, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Hyewon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Suk Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Byeon
authors.forename: K Bailey
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Freund
mesh_terms: D056833:Central Serous Chorioretinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000473:pathology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D007208:Indocyanine Green