Skip to main content
Journal cover image

The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Cheung, CMG; Yang, E; Lee, WK; Lee, GKY; Mathur, R; Cheng, J; Wong, D; Wong, TY; Lai, TYY
Published in: Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
December 2015

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the long-term natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in untreated patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational case series. Patients with symptomatic PCV who did not receive any treatment for at least 12 months were included from the records of three ophthalmic clinics in Asia. The medical records and imaging data were reviewed. Visual outcomes at month 12 and at last follow-up were analyzed. The influence of demographics and presenting features on visual outcome was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 32 eyes (32 patients) were included in this analysis. The mean follow-up was 59.9 months (range, 18-119 months), the mean age was 65.7 years and 21 (65.6 %) patients were male. The mean presenting logMAR visual acuity was 0.79 (Standard deviation [SD] 0.49). The center of the fovea was involved by the PCV complex in 25 eyes (78.1 %). The mean greatest linear dimension (GLD) of the PCV complex was 2584 μm (SD 880). Twenty-three eyes (71.9 %) had a cluster-of-grapes configuration on indocyanine green angiography. Leakage of fluorescein angiography was present in 29 eyes (90.6 %). The mean logMAR vision deteriorated from 0.79 at baseline to 0.88 at month 12 (p = 0.11), and further to 1.14 (p = 0.003) at the last follow-up. The proportion of eyes that improved, remained unchanged and worsened was 21.9 %, 31.3 % and 46.9 %, respectively, at month 12; and 28.1 %, 9.4 % and 62.5 %, respectively, at last follow-up. The proportion of eyes with logMAR vision worse than 1.0 was 28.1 % at presentation, and increased to 31.3 % at month 12 and further to 53.1 % at last follow-up. Reasons for poor vision were due to retinal, subretinal or vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy and scarring. None of the presenting features were found to significantly influence visual outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Half of eyes presenting with symptomatic PCV had a relatively benign course without treatment and some even had vision improvement. However, in the remaining eyes, vision deteriorated significantly, mainly due to hemorrhage and scarring. There may be subtypes of PCV with divergent natural history.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol

DOI

EISSN

1435-702X

Publication Date

December 2015

Volume

253

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2075 / 2085

Location

Germany

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Acuity
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Polyps
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Indocyanine Green
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Fluorescein Angiography
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Cheung, C. M. G., Yang, E., Lee, W. K., Lee, G. K. Y., Mathur, R., Cheng, J., … Lai, T. Y. Y. (2015). The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, 253(12), 2075–2085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-2933-2
Cheung, Chui Ming Gemmy, Elizabeth Yang, Won Ki Lee, Gary K. Y. Lee, Ranjana Mathur, Jacob Cheng, Doric Wong, Tien Yin Wong, and Timothy Y. Y. Lai. “The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients.Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 253, no. 12 (December 2015): 2075–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-2933-2.
Cheung CMG, Yang E, Lee WK, Lee GKY, Mathur R, Cheng J, et al. The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec;253(12):2075–85.
Cheung, Chui Ming Gemmy, et al. “The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients.Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, vol. 253, no. 12, Dec. 2015, pp. 2075–85. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s00417-015-2933-2.
Cheung CMG, Yang E, Lee WK, Lee GKY, Mathur R, Cheng J, Wong D, Wong TY, Lai TYY. The natural history of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a multi-center series of untreated Asian patients. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec;253(12):2075–2085.
Journal cover image

Published In

Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol

DOI

EISSN

1435-702X

Publication Date

December 2015

Volume

253

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2075 / 2085

Location

Germany

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Acuity
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Polyps
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Indocyanine Green
  • Humans
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Fluorescein Angiography