Indocyanine green angiographic findings in fellow eyes of patients with unilateral occult neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE

To determine the role of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in the prediction of the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

METHODS

We reviewed the ICG angiograms of 124 patients with newly diagnosed unilateral occult CNV secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in whom the fellow eye had only drusen by biomicroscopy and fluorescein angiography. Follow-up data of at least 12 months were obtained in all eyes.

RESULTS

113 fellow eyes had a normal ICG study, while 11 fellow eyes revealed plaque-like late hyperfluorescence. During an average follow-up time of 18.2 months exudative AMD developed in 7 of 11 eyes with late hyperfluorescence on ICGA and in 6 of 113 with a normal ICGA study.

CONCLUSION

ICGA may help to predict which fellow eyes are at higher risk of developing future exudative changes.