Cystoid macular edema in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy viewed by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope: CME in PCV viewed by SLO.

Visual prognosis for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is reported to be relatively good. However, some eyes in the end-stage of PCV show cystoid macular edema (CME) with severe loss of vision. We examined two eyes with CME in the end-stage of PCV. The fundus of each of these eyes was examined noninvasively with a new commercially available scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) in the retro-mode with an infrared laser. In the retro-mode, scattered light that passed the aperture deviated laterally, giving a shadow to the silhouetted cystoid spaces, enabled visualisation of the CME. In each eye, although no cystoid spaces were detected on fundus photographs, monochromatic images obtained with an SLO in the retro-mode showed numerous cystoid spaces on the disciform scar. SLO in the retro-mode can show each cystoid space located in any layer of the retina, and allows us to detect the extent of the CME.