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. 2022 Dec 9;7(1):16-19.
doi: 10.1177/24741264221126297. eCollection 2023 Jan-Feb.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography for Detecting Nonexudative Macular Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Affiliations

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography for Detecting Nonexudative Macular Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Jeremy R Greenberg et al. J Vitreoretin Dis. .

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) for detecting nonexudative macular neovascularization (MNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: In this prospective study, patients with a new diagnosis of exudative AMD in 1 eye were imaged using OCTA, fluorescein angiography (FA), and ICGA in both eyes. The rates at which these imaging modalities detected nonexudative MNV in the nonexudative fellow eye were then compared.

Results: This study comprised 41 eyes with a mean follow-up was 14 months. Nonexudative MNV was found in 3 eyes using OCTA and ICGA. No MNV exudation was detected on FA or structural OCT. One of 3 eyes with MNV progressed to exudative disease 6 months after the initial visit. During the follow-up, 5 of the 38 eyes without MNV developed exudation at 4 to 18 months.

Conclusions: OCTA is similarly effective as ICGA at detecting nonexudative MNV patterns.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration; fluorescein angiography; indocyanine green angiography; macular neovascularization; nonexudative; optical coherence tomography angiography; subclinical.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Images of the nonexudative fellow eye of a patient with a new diagnosis of unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration. Left: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) 3 mm × 3 mm. Center: Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Right: Fluorescein angiography (FA). Choroidal neovascularization (sea-fan pattern) is seen on OCTA but not on FA, while a hypercyanescent plaque is seen on ICGA.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Images of the nonexudative fellow eye of a patient with a new diagnosis of unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration. Left: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) 3 mm × 3 mm. Center: Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Right: Fluorescein angiography (FA). Again, choroidal neovascularization (sea-fan pattern) is seen on OCTA but not on FA, while a hypercyanescent plaque is seen on ICGA. In this eye, ICGA appears to show a larger extent of the subretinal pigment epithelium lesion than OCTA.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Images of the nonexudative fellow eye of a patient with a new diagnosis of unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration. Left: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) 3 mm × 3 mm. Center: Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Right: Fluorescein angiography (FA). As in the cases in Figure 1 and Figure 2, choroidal neovascularization (sea-fan pattern) is seen on OCTA but not on FA, while a hypercyanescent plaque is seen on ICGA. In this eye, ICGA also appears to show a larger extent of the lesion than OCTA.

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