J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2007 Jan;48(1):63-74.

Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in Korean Patients

• Lee JW
• Kim IT

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence, demographic features and clinical characteristics of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Korean patients.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 413 patients (485 eyes) diagnosed with choroidal neovascularization in exudative age-related macular degeneration between June 2001 and September 2005. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examination, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography.
RESULTS
Among a total of 485 eyes of 413 patients, 80 eyes of 66 patients (16.5%) were diagnosed with PCV. Men were predominantly affected (80.3%), and most patients were elderly with a mean age of 68.3 years (range, 50~93 years) and unilaterally involved (78.8%). The polypoidal lesions in PCV tended to be located in the macula area (62.5%). With respect to vascular network, fine vascular networks were observed in 51 eyes (63.7%) and large lesions were present in 16 eyes (20.0%). Clusters of grape-like polypoidal lesions (60%) were more common than solitary aneurysmal dilations (35.0%). Branching choroidal vessels were present in 67 eyes (83.7%) and absent in 13 eyes (16.3%). Optical coherence tomographic images of polypoidal lesions in 53 eyes showed uneven surfaces with more sharply peaked shapes different from those seen in the serous pigment epithelial detachment in age-related macular degeneration and central serous chorioretinopathy.
CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of PCV in Korean patients was relatively high among various ethnic groups. Although the demographic and clinical features of PCV in Korea differed from Caucasian patients, they were similar to Japanese and Chinese patients.

Keyword

Cluster of grapes-like polypoidal lesion; Indocyanine green angiography; Optical coherence tomography; Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aneurysm
Angiography
Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Choroid*
Choroidal Neovascularization
Ethnic Groups
Fluorescein
Humans
Incidence
Indocyanine Green
Korea
Macular Degeneration
Male
Medical Records
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, Optical Coherence
Fluorescein
Indocyanine Green