Age-related macular degeneration: is polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy recognized and treated?

To assess how polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is recognized and treated, and to assess whether treatment outcomes are different between Chinese and Caucasian Canadian patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Retrospective chart review.

154 eyes from 135 Chinese patients and 2291 eyes from 1792 Caucasian patients who were newly diagnosed with either AMD or PCV and had more than 1 year of follow-up were included.

All newly diagnosed AMD patients presenting to the Retina Service of 3 Toronto University Hospitals, between March 25, 2008, to September 30, 2014, were reviewed.

10/154 eyes (6.5%) in Chinese Canadians and 16/2291 eyes (0.7%) in Caucasian Canadians were diagnosed as having PCV. Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was used to diagnose PCV in 20% of Chinese Canadians and 8.8% of Caucasian Canadians. Clinical practices with a larger percentage of Chinese patients were more likely to diagnose PCV in both Chinese (p = 0.004) and Caucasian patients (p = 0.03), were more likely to use photodynamic therapy (PDT) (p < 0.01), and had significantly greater central retinal thickness decrease (p < 0.001).

Our study has shown that PCV is under-recognized in a Canadian population, and ICGA is underutilized. In clinical practices with a greater portion of Chinese patients, PCV is more often recognized and PDT is used more liberally.