Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Idiopathic Choroidal Neovascularization and Treatment Outcomes After Intravitreal Bevacizumab Therapy

Abstract

Subfoveal choroidal thickness is reduced and may be associated with the pathophysiology of idiopathic CNV. Intravitreal bevacizumab resulted in significant visual and anatomical improvement in patients with idiopathic CNV.

Repeatability of Choroidal Thickness Measurements on Enhanced Depth Imaging Optical Coherence Tomography Using Different Posterior Boundaries

“…Choroidal thickness changes have been described in age-related choroidal atrophy, 2 pachychoroid spectrum conditions like central serous chorioretinopathy, 3,4 and choroidal inflammatory diseases including Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. 5–7 Choroidal thinning has also been implicated in age-related macular degeneration, 8–11 diabetic retinopathy, 12,13 retinal vein occlusions, 14,15 and as a consequence of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. 16–19 …”

“…20–24 Much of the difficulty in achieving reliable choroidal thickness measurements is due to the variable and often obscure appearance of the choroidal-scleral junction (CSJ) that determines the posterior boundary of the choroid. While some studies appear to use the border of the choroidal vascular lumen as the posterior boundary, 15,25–28 others defined the border of the choroid stroma or sclera as the CSJ. 29–32 In some individuals, there is also a hyporeflective band corresponding to the suprachoroidal layer, which may further contribute to variability in choroidal thickness measurements.…”

Changes in Choroidal Thickness After Intravitreal Injection of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Pachychoroid Neovasculopathy

“…3 Although several studies have shown changes in the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) after administration of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with neovascular AMD, [4][5][6][7] other studies have not found any changes. [8][9][10] To our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated these changes in patients with PNV.…”

Cytokine profiling reveals increased serum inflammatory cytokines in idiopathic choroidal neovascularization

“…Idiopathic choroidal neovascularization (ICNV) is defined as CNV occurring in patients younger than 50 years with no detectable primary ocular or systemic diseases, such as pathologic myopia (PM), angioid streak, trauma, or other inflammatory or hereditary disorders [1,2] . Although the natural progression and the visual prognosis of ICNV are more favorable than for CNV attributable to agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), and majorities of patients with ICNV have good response to antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, some of these patients nonetheless have persistent CNV, and even decreased vision, and need repeated anti-VEGF therapy [3][4][5][6] .…”

“…Central retinal thickness (CRT, thickness of the 1-mm central retina) was measured by OCT; lesion area was measured on fluorescein angiograms as described previously [18] . Our exclusion criteria are as follows: (1) clinical features suggesting that CNV was secondary to other causes such as AMD, PM, trauma, choroiditis, or hereditary diseases in the studied or contralateral eye; (2) axial length >26.0 mm or myopia> -6 diopter; (3) prior local or systemic treatment for ICNV, or previous intraocular surgery; (4) systemic inflammatory diseases such as autoimmune disease, diabetes mellitus or malignoma.…”