Aim: To describe the types and location of choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), including vascularised pigment epithelial detatchments (PED), and most recently described subtypes, such as retinal choroidal anasmostosis, also termed ''retinal angiomatous proliferation'' (RAP). Methods: Prospective multicentre consecutive descriptive case series. A total of 207 consecutive cases of newly diagnosed exudative AMD undergoing fluorescein angiography (FA) were recruited by 7 French referral hospital-based or private centres. Indocyanine green angiography (ICG) also was performed, when judged necessary by investigators. Types and location of CNV were classified by two independent experts and adjudicated by a third when discordant. Results: All patients had FA, while ICG was performed in 50% of subjects. A total of 17.6% had classic CNV only, 5.4% and 8.3% had predominantly and minimally classic CNV, respectively. Occult CNV could be classified in occult CNV without PED (32.7%) and occult CNV with PED, ie, vascularised PED (23.9%). RAP was observed in 15.1% of cases, and accounted for 30% of vascularised PED. In 5.8% of the cases there was haemorrhagic AMD and 4.8% had fibrovascular scars. Lesions were mainly subfoveal (80%). Agreement between the centre's ophthalmologist and the final validated expert classification was moderate (k = 0.52 for location and 0.59 for type of lesion). Conclusion: This study confirms that newly diagnosed cases of exudative AMD are mainly occult and subfoveal. RAP appeared as a common lesion in patients with newly diagnosed exudative AMD.A ged-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in industrialised countries, representing 50% of all blindness cases.1 It is currently the third most common cause of blindness worldwide, behind cataract and glaucoma.1 More than 80% of severe visual loss in AMD is due to choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) and its consequences: exudation, bleeding and disciform scarring.2 At the time of completion of the present study, the only approved treatments for exudative AMD in France were laser photocoagulation and verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT). The choice of treatment with these laser-based therapies depended on the location, composition and size of the lesion. Fluorescein angiography has been used to define lesion size and composition. It allows distinction between well demarcated classic CNV, and ill-defined occult CNV. This angiographic distinction is of major importance for the choice of treatment; laser photocoagulation being preferred in cases of extrafoveal or juxtafoveal classic CNV, while PDT was preferred in cases of subfoveal predominantly classic and occult only CNV.3-5 The location and exact boundaries of occult CNV often are difficult to determine precisely on fluorescein angiography due to obscuration of the neovascular membrane by overlying turbid exudates, blood and/or pigment, and rapid fluorescein pooling beneath a serous PED. As the vast majority of CNV at diagnos...

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