Choroidal neovascularization in peripapillary acute zonal occult outer retinopathy

Acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR) is a disease of unknown etiology in young or middle-aged patients that is characterized by acute loss of one or more zones of outer retinal function, photopsia, minimal initial ophthalmoscopic changes, and electroretinographic abnormalities. AZOOR may represent part of the spectrum of a single disease, the so-called AZOOR complex. In contrast with most other ocular diseases that may be part of this AZOOR complex, AZOOR has not, to our knowledge, been reported in association with choroidal neovascularization (CNV).

We describe a 47-year-old man presenting with peripapillary AZOOR and CNV. Despite photodynamic therapy, CNV evolved to a fibrovascular diskiform scar.

The occurrence of CNV on the margin of the AZOOR process suggested a direct link between the CNV and the underlying condition. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of CNV complicating AZOOR.