Angiographic and optical coherence tomography characteristics of recent myopic choroidal neovascularization.

PURPOSE

To analyze the contribution of fluorescein angiography (FA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) to the diagnosis of recent choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with high myopia.

DESIGN

Retrospective, observational case series.

METHODS

Ninety eyes of 73 highly myopic patients (refractive error ≥-6 diopters) with CNV in 1 or both eyes were included. Epidemiologic features, refractive error, fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and SD OCT findings at onset of CNV were analyzed.

RESULTS

Mean age at onset of CNV was 54.4 ± 14 years. CNV was bilateral in 17 of 73 cases. Mean refractive error was -13.9 ± 5.2 diopters. Myopic CNV was associated more frequently with patchy or geographic atrophy (P = .019). CNV was associated with exudative features on fluorescein angiography in 82% of cases (64/78), and on SD OCT in 48.6% of cases (36/74). There was no agreement about signs of active CNV between these 2 imaging methods (κ = 25.7 ± 10%; P = .0044). CNV area was significantly smaller in younger patients (<55 years) than in older patients (0.57 mm(2) vs 1.21 mm(2), respectively; P = .023).

CONCLUSIONS

Exudative features of myopic CNV are more obvious on FA than on SD OCT, suggesting that fluorescein angiography should be performed when new-onset myopic CNV is suspected. Myopic CNV occurring in older patients (≥55 years) is larger than those seen in younger patients and resembles CNV associated with age-related macular degeneration. This suggests an overlap between myopic CNV in older patients and age-related macular degeneration.