Usefulness of Fluorescein Angiographyin Predicting the Size of the Atrophic Areaafter Surgical Excision of Choroidal Neovascularization

Abstract

Twenty consecutive patients affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) complicated by subfoveal and juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) underwent a surgical removal of the membrane. The patients were divided into two groups: group A = CNVs ≤2 months; group B = CNVs >2 months. The surgical excision of the CNV was also performed in 10 cases of multifocal choroidopathies and idiopathic CNV. The atrophic area after surgery was larger in AMD than in multifocal choroidopathies or idiopathic CNV (p < 0.001). In AMD the atrophic area after surgical excision of the CNV was larger in group B than in group A (p < 0.05). The area of the CNV + the hyperfluorescent halo observed in the late phase of fluorescein angiography before surgery was 84.6% of the atrophic area after surgery. Our observations could be helpful to the surgeon for a more accurate evaluation of the expected size of the atrophic area after surgical removal of a CNV, thus allowing a better selection of the patients for whom surgery could be of some benefit.