Indocyanine green angiographic findings in idiopathic choroidal neovascularisation

The authors report the cases of two patients affected with idiopathic choroidal neovascularisation studied with combined fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography. In particular the presence of choroidal abnormalities at ICG angiography which could not be detected by fluorescein angiography was studied.

Both patients underwent a complete systemic and ocular assessment. Fluorescein angiography and ICG angiography were performed in a routine fashion at the time of presentation in both cases and after 14 months in the second patient.

Results of the systemic investigations were unremarkable. A distinct dark rim surrounding the choroidal neovascular net was evident until the late phases of ICG angiography despite the presence of subretinal blood. Dilated choroidal vessels were observed beneath the neovascular membrane in both cases. In the first patient a hyperfluorescent area beyond the primary lesion was detected in the affected eye and a distinct leaking subfoveal choroidal venous vessel was found in the fellow eye. The second patient never showed other angiographic alterations either in the affected or in the fellow eye.

ICG angiography has proved to be useful, both to better define and follow up the true extent of the pigment halo (healing response) around the neovascular membrane when subretinal blood and dye leakage at fluorescein angiography prevent its full appreciation, and to rule out other causes of choroidal neovascularisation in young healthy adults associated with either choroidal inflammatory focal lesions or choroidal vascular dynamic or inflammatory alterations.