EVEREST study report 2: imaging and grading protocol, and baseline characteristics of a randomised controlled trial of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Characteristics of the inner retinal layer in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the thicknesses of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) of the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS

A total of 107 patients with unilateral exudative AMD [34 of typical choroidal neovascularization (tCNV), Group A; 73 of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), Group B] and 73 normal control eyes (Group C) were included. Drusen and subretinal drusenoid deposits were assessed in all participants using fundus photography, autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). The GC-IPL and RNFL thicknesses were measured using Cirrus HD-OCT and compared among groups. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the factors associated with GC-IPL thicknesses.

RESULTS

The average GC-IPL thicknesses of Groups A, B, and C were 77.09 ± 3.87, 80.10 ± 6.61, and 80.88 ± 6.50 μm, respectively (p = 0.022). Sectoral GC-IPLs and central macular thicknesses (CMTs) were significantly different among groups (all, p <0.05), whereas none of the RNFL parameters differed significantly (all, p >0.05). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that age (p <0.001), CMT (p <0.001), and tCNV (p = 0.013) were significantly associated with average GC-IPL thickness, and the rate of reduction of GC-IPL thickness with increasing age in the fellow eyes of tCNV patients was higher than those in the PCV and control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral tCNV patients exhibited statistically significant reduction of the GC-IPL thickness in the fellow eyes, compared to values of the fellow eyes of unilateral PCV patients or control patients. RNFL values trended to be lower but did not reach statistical significance.

Impact of sub-foveal choroidal thickness on clinical features and long-term clinical outcomes in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

PURPOSE

To study the clinical features and long-term clinical outcomes in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in eyes with different sub-foveal choroidal thickness (SFCT).

METHODS

In this retrospective, observational comparative study, treatment-naïve eyes diagnosed with PCV using the 'EVEREST-2' study criteria were included. The eyes were divided into three groups of thin, medium and thick choroids, based on the SFCT data of total study eyes. Demographic, clinical, imaging features and treatment outcomes between the 3 groups were compared.

RESULTS

Sixty-three eyes in 63 patients were included. Right eye was involved in 39 (61%) cases and left eye in 24 (39%) cases. Mean age was 68.3 ± 6.82 years (range 54-85 years). Mean SFCT was 274 µm (median = 269 µm), and one standard deviation was 79.2 µm. Totally, 11, 43 and 9 eyes were included in the thin, medium and thick choroid groups, respectively. The mean SFCT was 161 ± 24.1 µm, 275 ± 39.6 µm and 412 ± 26.2 µm in the thin, medium and thick choroid groups, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the clinical and imaging features and treatment outcomes between eyes with thin, medium and thick SFCT.

CONCLUSION

Eyes with PCV can have a choroid of varying thicknesses. Clinical, imaging and treatment responses were similar between the three sub-foveal choroidal thickness groups in this study. In future, more studies are required to evaluate the role of the choroidal thickness and its relationship to treatment in PCV.

Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy: Consensus Nomenclature and Non-Indocyanine Green Angiograph Diagnostic Criteria from the Asia-Pacific Ocular Imaging Society PCV Workgroup

PURPOSE

To develop consensus terminology in the setting of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and to develop and validate a set of diagnostic criteria not requiring indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) for differentiating PCV from typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) based on a combination of OCT and color fundus photography findings.

DESIGN

Evaluation of diagnostic test results.

PARTICIPANTS

Panel of retina specialists.

METHODS

As part of the Asia-Pacific Ocular Imaging Society, an international group of experts surveyed and discussed the published literature regarding the current nomenclature and lesion components for PCV, and proposed an updated consensus nomenclature that reflects our latest understanding based on imaging and histologic reports. The workgroup evaluated a set of diagnostic features based on OCT images and color fundus photographs for PCV that may distinguish it from typical nAMD and assessed the performance of individual and combinations of these non-ICGA features, aiming to propose a new set of diagnostic criteria that does not require the use of ICGA. The final recommendation was validated in 80 eyes from 2 additional cohorts.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Consensus nomenclature system for PCV lesion components and non-ICGA-based criteria to differentiate PCV from typical nAMD.

RESULTS

The workgroup recommended the terms polypoidal lesion and branching neovascular network for the 2 key lesion components in PCV. For the diagnosis of PCV, the combination of 3 OCT-based major criteria (sub-retinal pigment epithelium [RPE] ring-like lesion, en face OCT complex RPE elevation, and sharp-peaked PED) achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.90. Validation of this new scheme in a separate subset 80 eyes achieved an accuracy of 82%.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose updated terminology for PCV lesion components that better reflects the nature of these lesions and is based on international consensus. A set of practical diagnostic criteria applied easily to spectral-domain OCT results can be used for diagnosing PCV with high accuracy in clinical settings in which ICGA is not performed routinely.

Predictors of persistent disease activity following anti-VEGF loading dose for nAMD patients in Singapore: the DIALS study

Background

To determine the frequency of persistent disease activity following 3 loading doses of anti- vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents, and the anatomic and demographic predictors of early persistent disease activity among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods

In a retrospective real-world cohort study, 281 consecutive patients with nAMD were reviewed at baseline and after 3 anti-VEGF injections for pre-defined indicators of disease activity. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) features such as subretinal fluid, intraretinal cysts and intraretinal fluid were assessed by reading-center certified graders. Multiple logistic regression was performed on demographic and anatomic factors.

Results

At month 3, 66.1% of patients had persistent disease activity. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement was 0.16 LogMAR for those with no disease activity compared to 0 for patients with persistent activity (p < 0.001). The significant risk factors for persistent activity at 3 months were male gender (odds ratio [OR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32–0.93, p = 0.025), intraretinal cysts at baseline (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.67–5.20, p < 0.001) and subretinal fluid at baseline (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.62–6.18, p = 0.002). At 3 months, 58% of patients had features of activity on OCT. Patients with intraretinal cysts and intraretinal fluid at baseline had worse BCVA at month 3 compared to patients without these OCT features (0.69 vs. 0.43, p < 0.001, and 0.62 vs. 0.43, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

In a real-world study, 66.1% of nAMD patients have persistent disease activity after the initial loading dose, with poorer BCVA compared to those without. Baseline OCT features (intraretinal cysts and subretinal fluid) are useful predictors of persistent disease activity at month 3.

Automated diagnoses of age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy using bi-modal deep convolutional neural networks

AIMS

To investigate the efficacy of a bi-modality deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) framework to categorise age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) from colour fundus images and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study was proposed of patients with AMD or PCV who came to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Diagnoses of all patients were confirmed by two retinal experts based on diagnostic gold standard for AMD and PCV. Patients with concurrent retinal vascular diseases were excluded. Colour fundus images and spectral domain OCT images were taken from dilated eyes of patients and healthy controls, and anonymised. All images were pre-labelled into normal, dry or wet AMD or PCV. ResNet-50 models were used as the backbone and alternate machine learning models including random forest classifiers were constructed for further comparison. For human-machine comparison, the same testing data set was diagnosed by three retinal experts independently. All images from the same participant were presented only within a single partition subset.

RESULTS

On a test set of 143 fundus and OCT image pairs from 80 eyes (20 eyes per-group), the bi-modal DCNN demonstrated the best performance, with accuracy 87.4%, sensitivity 88.8% and specificity 95.6%, and a perfect agreement with diagnostic gold standard (Cohen's κ 0.828), exceeds slightly over the best expert (Human1, Cohen's κ 0.810). For recognising PCV, the model outperformed the best expert as well.

CONCLUSION

A bi-modal DCNN for automated classification of AMD and PCV is accurate and promising in the realm of public health.

Ranibizumab non-response in pachychoroid neovasculopathy: Effects of switching to aflibercept

Non-response to intravitreal ranibizumab represents a frequent problem in pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV). To investigate the effectivity of switching to aflibercept, the database of the Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, was screened for patients fulfilling the following inclusion criteria: (i) diagnosis of PNV; (ii) inadequate response to ≥ 3 ranibizumab injections, in spite of monthly dosing, defined as persistence of subretinal-fluid four weeks after the last ranibizumab injection; (iii) resulting switch to aflibercept administered as three monthly injections. Primary outcome measure was percentage of eyes with a dry macula four weeks after the third aflibercept injection. Secondary outcome measures included changes in maximum subretinal fluid (SRF), central subfield thickness (CST) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT). In total, 14 eyes of 14 patients were included. Mean age was 64.1 ± 7.5 (range: 51–78) years. Switching to aflibercept was performed after mean 8.4 ± 4.1 (3–15) ranibizumab injections. While no eye (0%) achieved a dry macula status during ranibizumab treatment, switching to aflibercept achieved a dry macula status in eight eyes (57.1%) after three injections. While both ranibizumab and aflibercept showed an effect on CST (p = 0.027, p = 0.003), only aflibercept showed a significant effect on SRF (p = 0.0009) and SFCT (p = 0.044). In cases of PNV not responding to intravitreal ranibizumab, switching treatment to aflibercept induces a favorable short-term response resolving persistent fluid and achieving a dry macula. Further studies with longer follow-up are warranted.

Latest Developments in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy: Epidemiology, Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a condition characterized by multiple, recurrent, serosanguineous pigment epithelial detachments, and neurosensory retinal detachments due to abnormal aneurysmal neovascular lesions. It is generally considered as a variant of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, but there are some differences between the clinical presentation, natural history, and treatment response between patients with PCV and typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients. Over the past decade, new research and technological advancements have greatly improved our understanding of the PCV disease process and the management of PCV. This review aims to summarize the recent research findings to highlight the epidemiology, pathogenesis, genetics, the application of various diagnostic tools for PCV, and the available treatment options for PCV.

Prevalence of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Indian population: Risk factors, clinical and imaging characteristics

AIM

To assess prevalence, clinical presentation and multimodal imaging characteristics of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in a hospital-based setting in South India.

METHODS

Electronic medical records (EMR) of new patients presenting with suspected clinical signs of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a tertiary hospital from January to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed using keywords and filtered for patient who underwent multimodal imaging. Clinical presentations were categorized into predominantly hemorrhagic, exudative or mixed pattern. The imaging features were compared in these clinical groups. The multimodal images were graded by two masked graders and discrepancies between them were settled by a senior arbitrator.

RESULTS

Of the 147 clinically suspicious cases of PCV out of 785 patients with clinical presentation of AMD as recorded in the EMR, 73 (49.7%) patients had a multimodal imaging diagnosis of PCV. There was no difference in the demography, distribution of polyps, ICGA and OCT characteristics in eyes presenting with hemorrhagic, exudative or mixed clinical features.

CONCLUSION

Approximately half of South Asian patients presenting with clinical features of neovascular AMD harbor PCV irrespective of their clinical presentation and so we recommend that multimodal imaging is done in all cases of suspicious neovascular AMD in Indian population.

Pachychoroid disease: a new perspective on exudative maculopathy

BACKGROUND

Pachychoroid, or the structural and functional abnormalities of the choroid, is one of the most important causes of exudative maculopathies. The purpose of this article is to review the current definitions of pachychoroid and their potential consequences. Most publications are from Asian countries. Although no consensus diagnosis has been reached, pachychoroid is defined by thickened choroid and choroidal vascular hyperpermeability, pachyvessels with inner choroidal attenuation; it is closely linked to pachydrusen. Although some studies suggest choroidal congestion may play a role in its pathogenesis, the exact causes of this condition are still unknown. Pachychoroid is associated with exudative maculopathies including central serous chorioretinopathy, pachychoroid neovasculopathy and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). It is widely accepted that macular neovascular membranes may develop secondary to pachychoroid. Recent clinical observations illustrate the importance of pachychoroid in the etiology of macular neovascularization including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

CONCLUSION

Pachychoroid is an important cause of exudative maculopathies. Both drusen and pachychoroid are increasingly recognized as important causes of macular neovascularization, and eyes formally categorized as typical nAMD or PCV can be further sub-categorized based on the presence or absence of pachychoroid and drusen. There is a need to develop a consensus definition, which will greatly enhance our understanding of pachychoroid and facilitate the development of individual interventions in pachychoroid diseases.

Comparing efficacy of reduced-fluence and standard-fluence photodynamic therapy in the treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Background

The EVEREST II study reported superior polyp closure rates and visual outcomes using combination standard photodynamic therapy (PDT) with intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). The optimal PDT protocol remains controversial and it is postulated that less intensive PDT strategies may reduce complications. We aimed to compare the efficacy of reduced and standard-fluence PDT.

Methods

Case-control review of 38 consecutive PDT-naïve macular PCV patients who underwent verteporfin PDT using one of two PDT regimens at a tertiary referral centre in an Asian population. Comparison of outcomes between standard-fluence PDT (light dose, 50 J/cm2; dose rate, 600 mW/cm2; wavelength, 689 nm PDT applied to the treatment eye for 83 s) and reduced-fluence PDT (light dose, 25 J/cm2; dose rate, 600 mW/cm2; wavelength, 689 nm PDT applied to the treatment eye for 42 s). Primary outcome measure was best corrected LogMAR visual acuity (VA). Secondary outcome measures included OCT measurements such as central retinal thickness (CRT), height of subfoveal sub-retinal fluid (SRF), central choroid thickness (CCT), mean number of PDT treatments needed, mean number of anti-VEGF injections needed, polyp closure and recurrence rates.

Results

Of these 38 eyes of 38 patients, an equal number of eyes (19 in each arm) were treated with standard-fluence and reduced-fluence PDT. Mean letter gain at 12 months for the standard-fluence group was 6.0 compared to 4.3 letters for the reduced-fluence group (p = 0.61). Similar results were observed at all time points. There was no statistically significant difference between the retinal and choroidal anatomical OCT outcomes, rates of polyp closure and recurrences between the two PDT regimens.

Conclusions

Reduced-fluence PDT was comparable to standard-fluence PDT in the treatment of PCV in terms of visual gains, clinical and anatomical OCT outcomes.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Potential Diagnostic Features Detected Using Fundus Photography, Optical Coherence Tomography, and Fluorescein Angiography for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Importance

The use of indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) is a criterion standard for diagnosing polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), an endemic and common cause of vision loss in Asian and African individuals that also presents in white individuals. However, the use of ICGA is expensive, invasive, and not always available at clinical centers. Therefore, knowing the value of certain features detected using fundus photography (FP), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescein angiography (FA) to diagnose PCV without ICGA could assist ophthalmologists to identify PCV when ICGA is not readily available.

Objective

To explore the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive accuracy of potential diagnostic features detected using FP, OCT, and FA in diagnosing PCV without ICGA.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Deidentified images of FP alone, OCT alone, and FA alone were graded by 3 retina specialists masked to ICGA findings for potentially diagnostic features of PCV prespecified before grading compared with the criterion standard grading of 2 other retina specialists with access simultaneously to FP, OCT, FA and ICGA. Specialists graded images of 124 eyes of 120 patients presenting between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016, with newly identified serous or serosanguinous maculopathy who had undergone FP, OCT, FA, and ICGA before treatment at a large referral eye center in Thailand.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and predictive accuracy from the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

The mean (SD) age of the patients was 57.7 (12.6) years, 52 were women, 68 were men, and the diagnosis (from ICGA) was PCV for 65 eyes (52.4%), central serous chorioretinopathy for 45 eyes (36.3%), and typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration for 12 eyes (9.7%). With the use of FP, a potential diagnostic feature for PCV was notched or hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment (AUC, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.70-0.85). With the use of OCT, potential diagnostic features for PCV were pigment epithelial detachment notch (AUC, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.85-0.96), sharply peaked pigment epithelial detachment (AUC, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80-0.92), and a hyperreflective ring (AUC, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80-0.92). When at least 2 of these 4 signs were present, the AUC was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.98), with a sensitivity of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.87-0.99), a specificity of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.82-0.97), a positive predictive value of 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83-0.97), and a negative predictive value of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.86-0.99).

Conclusions and Relevance

These data suggest that the potential diagnostic features detected using FP and OCT provide high sensitivity and specificity for a diagnosis of PCV, especially when at least 2 of 4 highly suggestive signs are present.

Long-Term Incidence and Growth of Chorioretinal Atrophy in Patients with Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

PURPOSE

To investigate the long-term incidence and growth rate of chorioretinal atrophy (CRA) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and determine the associated risk factors.

METHODS

The medical records of 88 patients with unilateral symptomatic PCV who received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections with or without photodynamic therapy (PDT) were analyzed retrospectively. Near-infrared fundus imaging and spectral domain optical coherence tomography were used to measure the CRA area and growth rate. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to estimate the CRA incidence. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to investigate risk factors (e.g., age, frequency of abnormal OCT findings, PDT history, total injection number, and choroidal thickness) associated with the CRA incidence and growth rate, respectively.

RESULTS

The overall CRA incidence was 40.8% at 5 years. The absence of subretinal fluid, the presence of intraretinal fluid, and a thin choroid were significant risk factors for CRA occurrence with a history of PDT. Overall 5-year CRA growth rate was 0.69 mm2/year. Faster CRA growth was significantly related to the presence of subretinal hyperreflective material and thin choroid. PDT history was not significantly related to CRA growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Thin choroid may be a significant risk factor for long-term development and growth of CRA in eyes with PCV. Intraretinal fluid seems to promote the development of CRA, while subretinal fluid seems to be associated with CRA prevention. The history of PDT was significantly related to the occurrence of CRA, but not to the growth rate of CRA.

Angiographic features of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy using indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography angiography: A comparative study

BACKGROUND

To compare the vascular lesion size using optical coherence tomography angiography and indocyanine green angiography in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

METHODS

Treatment-naïve cases (46 eyes of 44 patients) with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were retrospectively analyzed. The comparison of mean area of branching vascular network and polyp detection rate was done between indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography angiography and correlated with various optical coherence tomography features.

RESULTS

The mean age of the study patients was 62.33 ± 10.74 years. The mean branching vascular network size was 7.47 ± 5.74 and 7.51 ± 5.69 mm² in indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography angiography, respectively, with an excellent correlation (r = 0.997). Optical coherence tomography angiography overestimated (mean ± SD: 0.28 ± 0.19 mm²) and underestimated branching vascular network area (0.36 ± 0.33 mm²) in 23 eyes each as compared to indocyanine green angiography. However, the difference in branching vascular network size was not statistically significant (p = 0.53). Indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography angiography could identify polyps in 43 of 46 (93.48%) and 32 of 46 (69.57%) patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Branching vascular network size measurements with indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography angiography were comparable and showed significant correlation, albeit the polyp identification rate was lower with optical coherence tomography angiography. Optical coherence tomography angiography may serve as a useful substitute to indocyanine green angiography in measurements of branching vascular network for photodynamic therapy and follow-up of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy eyes.

Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Resistance in Exudative Macular Degeneration and Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the prevalence of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in different ethnic populations and to determine the prevalence of PCV in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that is sensitive and resistant to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred fifty-three eyes of 221 patients with exudative AMD.

METHODS

Baseline data were collected on all eyes diagnosed with exudative AMD, which included ethnic data. Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy was diagnosed using indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) with the scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Exudative AMD eyes were separated into 2 groups: anti-VEGF-resistant eyes with persistent subretinal fluid, subretinal hemorrhage, or macular edema after 4 anti-VEGF injections and anti-VEGF-sensitive eyes defined as eyes without residual disease activity. The prevalence of PCV was determined in each group based on ICGA.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of PCV in exudative AMD, and in different ethnic populations, and prevalence of anti-VEGF resistance in eyes with and without PCV.

RESULTS

Exudative AMD was diagnosed in 253 eyes of 221 patients. Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy was noted to have a prevalence of 45.1% (114/253 eyes) in the overall population. Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy was noted in 51.6% (81/157) of eyes with wet AMD in Asians, 31.9% (23/72 eyes) of eyes with wet AMD in white persons, and 28.6% (4/14 eyes) in a small group of Pacific Islanders. Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy was diagnosed in 50% (60/120 eyes) of eyes in the anti-VEGF-resistant group, which is more prevalent than the 30.2% (29/96 eyes) in the anti-VEGF-sensitive group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy is more prevalent in Asian patients with exudative AMD, but is more prevalent than generally recognized in white patients. Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy is more prevalent in anti-VEGF-resistant eyes in both white and Asian patients, which could help to predict therapeutic response.

EVEREST study report 4: Fluorescein angiography features predictive of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Importance

It is important to identify features of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) that differentiate it from typical neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD) on various imaging modalities, including fluorescein angiography (FA).

Background

PCV was thought to be indistinguishable from nAMD using FA alone. In real‐world practice, indocyanine‐green angiography may often be unavailable or contraindicated.

Design

Analysis of FA images from a prospective, multicentre study.

Participants

Study images of both PCV and nAMD patients from the EVEREST study.

Methods

FA features at baseline were independently graded by masked graders (fellowship‐trained ophthalmologists) using standardized diagnostic algorithms.

Main Outcome Measures

Predictive indicators (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) for PCV.

Results

Of the 95 patients screened, 61 had PCV. Of the 34 screening failures, 15 were diagnosed as nAMD. Hyperfluorescent nodules on FA were observed in 80% of patients with PCV vs 20% with nAMD (P < 0.001). Blocked fluorescence on FA, which corresponded to the presence of subretinal haemorrhage, occurred more frequently among patients with PCV vs nAMD (61.7% vs 13.3%, P = 0.001). Similarly, the leakage characteristic of occult choroidal neovascularization occurred more frequently among patients with PCV vs nAMD (95.0% vs 73.3%, P = 0.026). The positive predictive value for PCV was 94.1% for hyperfluorescent nodules, 94.9% for blocked fluorescence, 83.8% for occult choroidal neovascularization and 82.0% for pigment epithelial detachment.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study demonstrated that certain FA features can be predictive of PCV and may be considered as an indication for retina specialists to perform indocyanine green angiography as confirmatory test.

Current management strategy of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a retinal disorder commonly found in Asians presenting as neovascular age-related macular degeneration and is characterized by serous macular detachment, serous or hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment, subretinal hemorrhage, and occasionally visible orange-red subretinal nodular lesions. PCV is diagnosed using indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and the lesions appear as polypoidal aneurysmal vascular lesions with or without abnormal branching vascular network. Although ICGA remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of PCV, various imaging modalities have also facilitated the diagnosis and monitoring of PCV. Recent advances in imaging technology including the use of high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography have provided new insights on the pathogenesis of PCV, suggesting a link between PCV and pachychoroid spectrum of macular disorders. With the evolving understanding on the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of PCV, different therapeutic options have been proposed. These include intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) monotherapy, combination therapy with anti-VEGF and verteporfin photodynamic therapy, and thermal laser photocoagulation. In recent years, major multi-center randomized clinical trials such as EVEREST, EVEREST II, and PLANET studies have been conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of various treatment options for PCV. This review aims to summarize the results of recent literature, clinical trials and studies to provide an update on the management options of PCV. An overall management strategy for PCV will also be proposed.

Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Purpose of review

The aim of this review is to summarize developments in the treatment of active polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). PCV is associated with a poor visual prognosis as a consequence the condition's hallmark polypoidal dilatation and a branching network resulting in recurrent hemorrhages and serous leakage.

Recent findings

Recent research has provided new insights into the pathogenesis of PCV. While still considered a subtype of age-related macular degeneration, suggestions that PCV belongs to a spectrum of conditions that present with a pachychoroid are increasingly well accepted. Treatment remains challenging. Combination therapy (photodynamic therapy (PDT) and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) is associated with higher polyp closure rate, but polyp closure rate has not been correlated with superior visual outcomes. Current data points to non-inferiority of anti-VEGF alone versus combined with PDT when final vision acuity is the study outcome.

Summary

PCV remains a clinical challenge. Classification and treatment of the condition continues to evolve. Combination therapy may not be superior to anti-VEGF treatment alone in terms of visual acuity outcome, however data on long-term recurrence should be compared in formulating preferred treatment plans.

Microperimetry and multimodal imaging in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a degenerative macular disease. The study determined the topographical concordance in the areal extent of PCV, defined by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and the corresponding outcomes from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and microperimetry, in 25 individuals (25 eyes) who had undergone 3 months of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment. The differential light sensitivity within 10° eccentricity was evaluated by Pattern Deviation probability analysis. The concordances and proportional areal extents of the abnormality for ICGA, SD-OCT and microperimetry were compared. The concordance in the areal extent between all three modalities was 59%. The median concordance between ICGA and microperimetry was 60%; between ICGA and SD-OCT, 70%; and between SD-OCT and microperimetry, 72%. SD-OCT and microperimetry each identified a greater areal extent (>20%) compared to ICGA in 13 and 19 eyes, respectively. A greater areal extent (>20%) was present in 9 eyes for microperimetry compared to SD-OCT and in 5 eyes for SD-OCT compared to microperimetry. SD-OCT and microperimetry each identified a greater area of abnormality than ICGA which supports the clinical utility of SD-OCT. Strong concordance was present between SD-OCT and microperimetry; however, microperimetry identified additional areas of functional abnormality.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: Pearls in diagnosis and management

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of exudative maculopathy in Asians as against Wet age-related macular degeneration in Caucasians. A panel of retinal experts methodically evaluated pertinent updated literature on PCV with thorough PubMed/MEDLINE search. Based on this, the panel agreed upon and proposed the current consensus recommendations in the diagnosis (clinical and imaging), management and follow-up schedule of PCV. Diagnosis of PCV should be based on the gold standard indocyanine green angiography which demonstrates early nodular hyperfluorescence signifying the polyp with additional features such as abnormal vascular network (AVN). Optical coherence tomography is an excellent adjuvant for diagnosing PCV, monitoring disease activity, and decision-making regarding the treatment. Current treatment modalities for PCV include photodynamic therapy, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents, and thermal laser. Choice of specific treatment modality and prognosis depends on multiple factors such as the location and size of PCV lesion, presence or absence of polyp with residual AVN, amount of submacular hemorrhage, presence or absence of leakage on fundus fluorescein angiography, visual acuity, and so on. Current recommendations would be invaluable for the treating physician in diagnosing PCV and in formulating the best possible individualized treatment strategy for optimal outcomes in PCV management.

Clinical outcomes in Caucasian patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

PURPOSE

To describe treatment outcomes in a cohort of Caucasian patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

METHODS

Clinical charts from 48 eyes of 45 Caucasian patients with PCV were retrospectively reviewed. All cases were diagnosed with indocyanine green angiography. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging were analyzed at baseline and final follow-up.

RESULTS

Eyes were treated with a combination of verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (n = 24), or PDT monotherapy (n = 9), or anti-VEGF monotherapy (n = 8), or no treatment (n = 7). Aflibercept was the anti-VEGF agent in 30 out of 32 eyes. Sixteen out of 24 eyes in the combination treatment group received initial PDT at diagnosis. All treatments led to stabilization of BCVA at final visit with a trend for better visual acuity in the anti-VEGF monotherapy group. There was a substantial reduction in central retinal thickness associated with resolution of subfoveal fluid and improvement in retinal pigment epithelial detachment in all treatment groups. BCVA and OCT findings remained stable in eyes which received no treatment. The use of PDT was associated with 0.5 fewer intravitreal injections per annum, which was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

In the largest series of Caucasian patients with PCV presented to date, anti-VEGF monotherapy, PDT, or their combination preserved visual acuity and improved subfoveal exudative changes. Combination treatment was not superior to anti-VEGF monotherapy.

Risk factors for breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage after intravitreal anti-VEGF injection in age-related macular degeneration with submacular hemorrhage

To investigate the risk factors for breakthrough vitreous hemorrhage (VH) after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) accompanied by submacular hemorrhage (SMH). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with AMD combined with SMH, and enrolled 31 patients. We formed an age- and sex-matched control group of patients with submacular hemorrhage who did not develop breakthrough VH after intravitreal injection during 6 month follow-up. The mean patient age was 70.8 ± 10.3 years in the breakthrough VH group. Of the 31 patients, 8 were diagnosed with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), 22 with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and 1 with retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). PCV was associated with a significantly higher incidence of VH (odds ratio, 35.01; p = 0.001). The size of the SMH was 22.7 ± 12.4 disc areas (DAs) in the breakthrough VH group and 5.4 ± 6.9 DAs in the control group, and was thus significantly related to the development of VH (p < 0.001). The risk of VH was significantly higher in those taking anticoagulants (p = 0.014). There was no significant difference between the types of anti-VEGF agents. When taking anticoagulant medications, a SMH of large diameter, and PCV subtype were risk factors for breakthrough VH after anti-VEGF injection.

A comparison of risk factors for age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in Chinese patients

PURPOSE

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) are important vision-threatening diseases worldwide. For effective treatment, the risk factors for the diseases merit investigation. This study aimed to compare the risk factors for nAMD vs. PCV in Chinese patients.

METHODS

A total of 946 participants were recruited in this case-control study, including 281 patients with nAMD, 306 patients with PCV, and 359 controls. All participants underwent comprehensive ophthalmic examinations. Information on risk factors were collected by questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the difference in risk factors between nAMD and PCV. In a subgroup of subjects, serum lipid data were obtained and analyzed.

RESULTS

Risk factors for nAMD included older age (OR 1.03, P = 0.001), male gender (OR 1.55, P = 0.020), asthma (OR 2.50, P = 0.028), smoking (OR 1.92, P = 0.001), and family history (OR 6.82, P = 0.001), while smoking (OR 1.67, P = 0.013) was the only risk factor for PCV. Compared to patients with PCV, patients with nAMD were more likely to be older and suffer from hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, rheumatism, and tumor. Interestingly, higher levels of high-density lipoprotein were positively associated with PCV in the subgroup analysis (OR 7.74, P = 0.011). Besides, results were quite different between the combination of patients with nAMD and PCV and patients with nAMD or PCV alone.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk factors for nAMD and PCV is varying with the exception of smoking. Our findings suggest that different strategies might be applied in the clinical management and scientific research on nAMD and PCV.

Long-term visual outcomes for treatment of submacular haemorrhage secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

IMPORTANCE

There is no consensus on the optimal management of submacular haemorrhage (SMH) secondary to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

BACKGROUND

To compare the long-term outcome of three treatment strategies for PCV with SMH.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series at two tertiary hospitals.

SAMPLES

A total of 48 consecutive eyes treated between July 2006 and March 2016.

METHODS

Patients were grouped according to the treatment received: 22 eyes with intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB), 14 with a combination of IVB and pneumatic displacement (PD) and 12 with IVB and vitrectomy (TPPV).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at onset and up to 24 months. Secondary measures included demographic data, imaging data and complications.

RESULTS

Comparing the mean BCVAs of the groups revealed significant differences only at month 1 (P = 0.005). Changes in the mean BCVA over time revealed no significance in the resulting final BCVA (P = 0.062), which was 20 out of 155 (logMAR 0.89 ± 0.64) for IVB monotherapy, 20 out of 174 (0.94 ± 1.04) for combined IVB + PD, and 20 out of 195 (0.99 ± 0.90) for combined IVB + TPPV eyes. Sustained long-term improvement of over three Snellen lines was found in seven (31.82%) IVB monotherapy, 10 (71.43%) combined IVB + PD, and seven (58.33%) combined IVB + TPPV eyes (P = 0.043). SMH recurrence was observed in two eyes after IVB monotherapy and one eye after combined IVB + PD (P = 0.786).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

IVB monotherapy appears to be as effective as combination therapies for treating SMH secondary to PCV with regards to BCVA at 24 months, and may be a cost-effective strategy for long-term management.

Submacular Hemorrhage: Visual Outcomes and Prognostic Factors

PURPOSE

To describe causes, visual outcomes, and prognostic factors in patients with submacular hemorrhage (SMH).

DESIGN

Retrospective case review.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of SMH with a size of at least 1 disc diameter. SMH causes were classified into 3 groups: 1) neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), 2) polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and 3) other miscellaneous causes.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight eyes of 98 patients were included. Based on clinical presentation and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), the diagnoses of PCV (59%), nAMD (31%), and miscellaneous other causes (10%) were made. PCV patients were younger (P = 0.005) and had larger SMH size than nAMD patients (P = 0.008). Poor visual outcome [>1.0 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR)] at 6 months was associated with low initial visual acuity (VA; >1.0 logMAR; P = 0.002) and with the diagnosis of nAMD (P = 0.02). In addition, limited visual outcomes were noted for patients older than 65 years and those with persistent SMH for at least 2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

PCV was the most common cause of SMH in Thailand. ICGA represented a valuable tool for the diagnosis. Visual outcomes were limited for patients with nAMD and for patients who presented with poor initial VA.

Management of recalcitrant polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy by feeder vessel laser photocoagulation

Purpose

To describe management of residual branch vascular network (BVN) in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) by thermal laser photocoagulation of feeder vessel.

Observations

Case report of sixty-four year old female with polypoidal choroidal vaculopathy (PCV) with moderate response to seven doses of intravitreal ranibizumab, six doses of intravitreal bevacizumab and one session of photodynamic therapy (PDT). The patient has resolved polyps but persistence of disease activity due to residual BVN and large pigment epithelial detachment (PED). Patient underwent thermal laser photocoagulation of feeder vessel of BVN identified on indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). There was complete resolution of residual BVN and large PED, which was confirmed on ICGA.

Conclusions and Importance

Recalcitrant cases of PCV without polyps but having BVN with feeder vessel can be managed by ICGA guided thermal laser photocoagulation. The case report illustrates the importance of utilizing multimodal imaging such as video indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) for identification of feeder vessel and its deployment for optimal management of refractory PCV.

Efficacy and Safety of Ranibizumab With or Without Verteporfin Photodynamic Therapy for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a common subtype of exudative age-related macular degeneration among Asian individuals. To our knowledge, there are no large randomized clinical trials to evaluate intravitreal ranibizumab, with and without verteporfin photodynamic therapy (vPDT), for the treatment of PCV.

Objective

To compare the efficacy and safety of combination therapy of ranibizumab and vPDT with ranibizumab monotherapy in PCV.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A double-masked, multicenter randomized clinical trial of 322 Asian participants with symptomatic macular PCV confirmed by the Central Reading Center using indocyanine green angiography was conducted between August 7, 2013, and March 2, 2017.

Interventions

Participants were randomized 1:1 to ranibizumab, 0.5 mg, and vPDT (n = 168; combination therapy group) or ranibizumab, 0.5 mg, and sham PDT (n = 154; monotherapy group). All participants received 3 consecutive monthly ranibizumab injections, followed by a pro re nata regimen. Participants also received vPDT/sham PDT on day 1, followed by a pro re nata regimen based on the presence of active polypoidal lesions.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Step 1 assessed whether combination therapy was noninferior (5-letter margin) to monotherapy for change in best-corrected visual acuity from baseline and superior in complete polyp regression. If noninferiority was established, step 2 assessed whether combination therapy was superior to monotherapy measured by best-corrected visual acuity change at month 12.

Results

Baseline demographics of the 322 participants were comparable between the treatment groups. Mean (SD) age of the patients was 68.1 (8.8) years, and overall, 69.9% of the patients were men. At baseline, the overall mean best-corrected visual acuity and mean central subfield thickness were 61.1 letters and 413.3 μm, respectively. At 12 months, mean improvement from baseline was 8.3 letters with combination therapy vs 5.1 letters with monotherapy (mean difference, 3.2 letters; 95% CI, 0.4-6.1), indicating that combination therapy met the predefined criterion for noninferiority as well as being superior to monotherapy (P = .01). Combination therapy was also superior to monotherapy in achieving complete polyp regression at month 12 (69.3% vs 34.7%; P < .001). Over 12 months, the combination therapy group received a median of 4.0 ranibizumab injections compared with 7.0 in the monotherapy group. Vitreous hemorrhage was the only ocular serious adverse event (combination therapy group, 1 [0.6%]; monotherapy group, 3 [2.0%]).

Conclusions and Relevance

After 12 months, combination therapy of ranibizumab plus vPDT was not only noninferior but also superior to ranibizumab monotherapy in best-corrected visual acuity and superior in complete polyp regression while requiring fewer injections. Combination therapy should be considered for eyes with PCV.

Trial Registration

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01846273.

En Face Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the diagnostic capability of en face spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) diagnosed by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective, consecutive case series of 100 eyes diagnosed with PCV by ICGA were imaged with en face SD-OCT. Evaluation of the PCV complex on en face SD-OCT was performed on the ability to diagnose PCV by the characteristic configuration of the PCV complex and the extent and size of the PCV lesion.

RESULTS

The PCV complex was better visualized on ICGA in 45 eyes, on en face SD-OCT in 44 eyes, and equally well in 11 eyes. The extent of the PCV complex was larger on en face SD-OCT in 65 eyes, larger on ICGA in 23 eyes, and equal in size in 12 eyes.

CONCLUSION

En face SD-OCT images the characteristic findings of PCV and provides a noninvasive way to diagnose and treat PCV when ICGA is not available. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:737-744.].

Characteristics and racial variations of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in tertiary centers in the United States and United Kingdom

Purpose

To evaluate the characteristics and racial variations amongst patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Methods

Fundus photos and indocyanine green angiography images were evaluated in a multicenter retrospective study to establish the diagnosis of PCV. Visual acuity (VA) was recorded in ETDRS letter count.

Results

Eighty eyes of 71 PCV patients (average age of 69.4 ± 10.4 years) were included in the analysis. Of the total 71 subjects, 46 (65%) were women, 33 (46.5%) were Blacks, 16 (22.5%) were Whites, 19 (26.8%) were Asians and 3 (4.2%) belonged to other races. The Black subgroup had vision gain of 3.5 letters. The White and Asian subgroups had vision loss of 13.1 and 3.5 letters, respectively. There was female predominance in Blacks (67%), Whites (69%), and Asians (58%). PCV was found to be a bilateral disease in 14 patients (20%). There was significant decrease of 7 letters with every decade increase in age (p = 0.005). Final VA was worse in males when compared to females (p = 0.042), and worse in Whites when compared to Blacks (p = 0.005). For every 10 letters worse in initial VA upon diagnosis with PCV, the final VA was worse by 6 letters (p < 0.001). The location of the polypoidal lesion within the macula was associated with significant decrease of 14 letters in BCVA (p = 0.02). The length of follow up was significantly associated with worse visual outcome (p = 0.012). Final VA had no significant correlation with the lens status, or the different treatment modalities.

Conclusions

Based on our cohort from tertiary centers in the United States and United Kingdom, PCV is a bilateral disease in one-fifth of patients. It features a variable female predominance based on ethnicity. Increased age, worse vision upon initial presentation, longer follow up and macular location of the polyp were associated with worse visual outcome.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40942-017-0060-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy: a common type of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Caucasians

AIMS

To describe the prevalence of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in a Caucasian population with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NAMD).

METHODS

All patients referred to a city AMD service over a 2-year period underwent imaging including Indocyanine Green Angiography at baseline. A panel of experts confirmed the patients with NAMD and diagnosed the lesion type including PCV. The proportion of Caucasian patients with PCV was identified. Two authors independently reviewed clinical imaging and recorded data of patients with PCV on lesion characteristics. Further information including treatments received and visual acuity at different time points was analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 492 patients were diagnosed with NAMD during the 2-year study period. Of these patients, 204 had occult lesions (41.5%). PCV was identified in 45 patients (22.1% of occult NAMD and 9.1% of all NAMD). 23 patients received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monotherapy, 8 received verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) monotherapy and the remaining 14 patients were managed with combined PDT and anti-VEGF treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of PCV in Caucasians is higher than previously reported. Indocyanine Green Angiography should be a standard investigation for all new patients with NAMD, particularly those with occult NAMD, to avoid missing this important subset.

Temporally Coherent Illumination Normalization for Indocyanine Green Video Angiography

Indocyanine green (ICG) angiography is an imaging method for doctors to observe choroidal abnormalities in human eyes. The ICG angiograms typically exhibit inhomogeneous illumination, which poses serious difficulties for the development of computer-aided diagnostic tools. In this paper, we propose a novel illumination normalization method to alleviate the inhomogeneous illumination in ICG video angiograms. In particular, we first align the viewpoint of the input ICG video angiogram using an image registration method. Then, we acquire temporal information using time-dependent intrinsic image and compute the corresponding illumination image. Finally, we correct inhomogeneous illumination from the illumination image by estimating contrast and luminosity distortion. We have conducted extensive evaluation using ICG video angiograms of 60 patients. Two video quality assessment methods are utilized to evaluate the performance of our proposed illumination normalization method. The results show that our proposed method can help improve the visual quality of ICG video angiogram. Visual evaluation by a human expert also confirms that our method yields better illumination normalization results.

Comparison of indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomographic angiography in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

PurposeTo compare optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCTA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) images for detecting polypoidal lesions (PLs) and branching vascular networks (BVNs), and to measure the polypoidal areas (PAs) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).MethodsAll patients underwent ICGA, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCTA. We compared the detection sensitivity for PL and BVN, as evaluated by the ICGA and OCTA images. Furthermore, PA measured by ICGA was divided into two groups: one in which the area could be measured by OCTA (ICGA+OCTA+) and the other in which the area could not be measured by OCTA (ICGA+OCTA-).ResultsTwenty-one consecutive eyes of 21 patients (mean age, 73.8±9.8 years) were included. ICGA detected PL in all eyes (100%), whereas OCTA detected PL in 16 eyes (75.2%); ICGA detected BVN in 15 eyes (71.4%), whereas OCTA detected BVN in 20 eyes (95.2%). The mean PA in ICGA+OCTA+ and ICGA+OCTA- was 0.24±0.04 and 0.14±0.01 mm2, respectively; a significant difference was observed between ICGA+OCTA+ PA and ICGA+OCTA- PA (P<0.0001). In addition, the mean PA in the ICGA+OCTA+ group measured by ICGA and OCTA was 0.24±0.04 was 0.19±0.04 mm2, respectively; these values were significantly different (P=0.0046).ConclusionsOCTA might detect more BVNs and fewer PLs compared with ICGA, and PL detected by OCTA might be smaller than those detected by ICGA.

The role of central reading centers--current practices and future directions

Central reading centers (CRCs) have several crucial roles in the conduct of clinical trials, providing key input during the study design, preparation of the operations manual, as well as site and photographer certification. They provide objective, standardized grading of images from study subjects, which determines study eligibility, and also evaluate lesion features at subsequent study visits. CRCs need to adhere strictly to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, as well as the established standard operating procedures in order to ensure that images are graded properly. The role of CRCs will continue to evolve, and include the use of web-based image transmission and grading platforms.

Analysis of the Serum Lipid Profile in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), the predominant subtype of neovascular age-related macular degeneration in the Asian population, is associated with genetic polymorphism of lipid metabolism. In this study, we performed the untargeted lipidomics approach of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) to reveal the potential discriminating lipid profile of PCV patients in serum (21 PCV patients and 19 age-matched controls). Unsupervised principal component, supervised orthogonal partial least squares analysis, correlation analysis, and heatmap analysis were performed with the data obtained by UPLC-MS. Forty-one discriminating metabolites were identified. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, pathway analysis and functional analysis were performed subsequently, and platelet-activating factor (PAF) was further selected as the key indicator of the distinct lipid metabolism in PCV patients. Finally, the serum level of PAF was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which is significantly higher in PCV patients compared to controls (65 PCV patients and 63 age-matched controls, p < 0.0001), consistent with the UPLC-MS analysis. Our results suggested that PAF is considered as the major indicator of the distinct lipid metabolism in PCV patients.

Incidence Rate of Massive Submacular Hemorrhage and its Risk Factors in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

PURPOSE

To investigate the incidence rate of massive submacular hemorrhage (SMH) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and analyze the associated risk factors.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with PCV from May 2003 to May 2014 were included. Two hundred forty-five eyes of 245 patients were enrolled. The time between the initial visit to the clinic with subjective visual symptoms and the date of massive SMH was recorded. SMH larger than 4 disc diameters was defined as massive SMH. Age; hypertension; visual acuity (VA); indocyanine green angiography findings, including the greatest linear dimension, largest polyp size, and PCV type (cluster vs non-cluster); and treatment methods were reviewed for risk factor analysis using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of massive SMH within 1 year after the initial visit was 2.45%. Massive SMH occurred within 3, 5, and 10 years after the first visit in 6.17%, 11.09%, and 29.85% of patients, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed that the cluster type of PCV was significantly associated with massive SMH (hazard ratio [HR], 3.418; P = .003). Photodynamic therapy followed by anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection lowered the risk of massive SMH (HR = .242; P = .047]. Final VA in eyes with massive SMH was significantly lower than that in patients without massive SMH (1.34 ± 0.66 vs 0.63 ± 0.53 logMAR; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PCV who develop massive SMH experience severe vision loss. The incidence rate of massive SMH in PCV increases with time. The cluster type of polyp in PCV is a significant risk factor for massive SMH.

EVEREST study report 3: diagnostic challenges of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Lessons learnt from screening failures in the EVEREST study

Purpose

To describe screening failures in the EVEREST study by examining the imaging characteristics that enabled differentiation of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) from cases that were subsequently diagnosed not to be PCV.

Methods

Post-hoc analysis of 34 patients with PCV reported as screening failures from EVEREST study. Standardised confocal scanning laser indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) images were graded by the Central Reading Centre to confirm PCV diagnosis based on the presence of early focal sub-retinal hyperfluorescence on ICGA and at least one of the following six diagnostic criteria: (1) nodular appearance of polyp(s) on stereoscopic examination, (2) hypofluorescent halo around nodule(s), (3) presence of a branching vascular network, (4) pulsation of polyp(s) on dynamic ICGA, (5) orange sub-retinal nodules on colour fundus photography, or (6) massive sub-macular haemorrhage (≥4 disc areas in size). Additional detailed image grading was performed with stereo-imaging and dynamic early-phase ICGA.

Results

Of the 95 screened PCV cases, 34 were excluded: (1) cases not suitable for recruitment as per the study protocol (n = 14), (2) equivocal lesions on ICGA characterised by small hyperfluorescent dots (n = 9), and (3) cases that were definitely not PCV (non-PCV, n = 11), identified by definitive diagnoses which included one case each of micro-aneurysm, retinal angiomatous proliferation, retino-choroidal anastomosis, small type-2 choroidal neovascularisation, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) window defect and disciform scar; two cases of lesions where the choroidal vessel changed its course; and three cases of late-onset RPE staining.

Conclusions

Standardised image grading techniques used in EVEREST study enabled effective differentiation of non-PCV from actual PCV.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00417-016-3333-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparability of retinal thickness measurements using different scanning protocols on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Retinal thickness measurements obtained using optical coherence tomography (OCT) play an essential role both in multi-center clinical trials and in normal clinical practice. Different scanning protocols are available on most OCT devices, and it is important to ascertain whether the retinal thickness measurements obtained from these are comparable. This study aimed to compare retinal thickness measurements between raster and radial scanning protocols using spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT). In a prospective study, 32 healthy subjects were scanned sequentially using raster and radial protocols from a SD-OCT device. For both the raster and radial OCT scans, retinal thicknesses were measured manually subfoveally and at 12 other points at 0.5 mm intervals temporally and nasally on the horizontal OCT B-scan passing through the fovea. The retinal thickness measurements were compared using intraclass correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. Subfoveal retinal thickness was 227.0 µm when measured on the raster scan and 229.2 µm on the radial scan, with a mean difference of 2.2 µm (P = 0.141).The ICC for agreement was 0.889 (95 % confidence interval 0.818-0.933). Similar results were observed for retinal thickness measurements at all other points, with mean differences ranging from -3.37 to 2.59 µm, and ICC values ranging from 0.837 to 0.972. The retinal thickness measurements obtained by the raster and radial scans of the same SD-OCT device are comparable, with differences of less than 4 µm. This is of relevance when measurements made using different OCT scan protocols are compared.