[Idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy]

To evaluate the incidence, clinical features and evolution of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in our population.

Retrospective study of patients diagnosed with exudative and/or hemorrhagic maculopathy including age-related macular degeneration in the last two years and who have undergone a complete ophthalmologic exploration and videoangiography with fluorescein and indocyanine green.

250 patients were included in the study, 8 patients (3.2%) had clinical and angiographic criteria of PCV. The mean age was 68 years-old, 62.5% were men and 85.7% were caucasian. Ninety percent of cases presented clinically as a predominantly hemorrhagic macular detachment. The initial clinical diagnosis before indocyanine green angiography was exudative age-related macular degeneration in 90% of cases. The mean visual acuity was 0.2 at baseline and after follow-up. Laser treatment was performed in 4 eyes, achieving good anatomic and visual acuity results in 2 of them; both eyes of one patient were treated by photodynamic therapy with poor angiographic and functional outcome.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy is a clinical entity which is relatively frequent among patients previously diagnosed with exudative maculopathy. Indocyanine green angiography increases the number of correct diagnoses. Treatment must be individualized depending on the location of the lesions and the severity of the disease.