Neovascularization associated with large retinal pigment epithelial detachment in elderly Korean patients: subdivision according to indocyanine green angiographic features.

PURPOSE: In Korean patients, to subdivide the neovascular forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) associated with large retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED), according to the indocyanine green angiographic features.
METHODS: Indocyanine green angiograms (ICGA) of 67 elderly patients (72 eyes) who presented with a PED of at least 1 disc diameter were evaluated retrospectively.
RESULTS: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and typical choroidal neovascularization (CNV)-associated PEDs were identified in 18 eyes (25%) and 19 eyes (26%), respectively. In ten eyes (13.9%), the exact type of neovascularization, whether PCV or CNV, could not be determined. Pure serous PEDs were identified in seven eyes (10%). The remaining 18 eyes (25%) were classified as having retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP)-associated PED based upon the angiographic findings of vascular connections between the retinal vasculature and the neovascular complex.
CONCLUSIONS: Three subset groups of PCV, CNV, and RAP were present with similar frequency in neovascularized AMD with a large PED in these Korean patients. In particular, RAP, previously thought to be rare in Asian patients, was found to be present with considerable frequency. Copyright (c) Japanese Ophthalmological Society 2007.