Optical Coherence Tomography-Angiography of Different Choroidal Neovascularization Subtypes in Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in individuals over 55 years of age worldwide. Conventionally, it is divided into two subtypes - dry (non-neovascular) and wet (neovascular) form. Neovascular age-related macular degeneration comprises only 10-15% of all patients but is responsible for more than 80% of blindness related to the disease. It requires early diagnosis and timely treatment. Fluorescein angiography is the current 'gold standard' for diagnosing neovascular forms. However, as an invasive procedure, it may be contraindicated in some circumstances and cause serious adverse effects. Optical coherence tomography-angiography is a relatively new, non-invasive and fast imaging modality gaining popularity in the diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration, especially for the neovascular form of the disease. It enables structural and functional information of blood vessels in the retina and choroid, without the need of an intravenous dye. In this study we present and discuss 3 cases of different subtypes of choroidal neovascularization secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration. All of them were examined by fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography-angiography. The results were qualitatively analyzed.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; choroidal neovascularization; fluorescein angiography; optical coherence tomography-angiography.