OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY CHARACTERIZATION OF EVOLVING LESIONS IN FELLOW EYES OF EXUDATIVE TYPE 3 MACULAR NEOVASCULARIZATION PATIENTS
Riccardo Sacconi, Paolo Forte, Vittorio Capuano, Alexandra Mière, Eliana Costanzo, Beatrice Tombolini, Federico Fantaguzzi, Camille Jung, Mariacristina Parravano, Monica Varano, Eric H. Souied, Francesco Bandello, Giuseppe Querques
Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate fellow eyes of newly diagnosed unilateral exudative Type 3 (T3) macular neovascularization (MNV) patients by assessing the presence and progression of a preclinical neovascular component during a 3-year follow-up. METHODS: This is a longitudinal study involving three retinal referral centers. Patients affected by unilateral exudative treatment-naive T3 MNV were enrolled. RESULTS: Twenty-four eyes of 24 patients (79 ± 6 years old) were enrolled. Nine eyes (37%) displayed a nonexudative T3 MNV at baseline that developed exudation after a mean of 9 ± 9 months. Fifteen eyes that did not display a nonexudative Type 3 MNV at baseline. Five eyes (21%) did not display neovessels at baseline, but showed a nonexudative T3 after 13 ± 9 months, and exudation after 8 ± 3 months. Five eyes (21%) developed active exudative T3 MNV after 23 ± 9 months, with no detectable nonexudative stage at baseline. Five eyes (21%) did not show MNV, but progressed to geographic atrophy by 36 months of follow-up. Overall, T3 MNV in the fellow eye accounted for 79%, all developing exudation over 3 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of a nonexudative T3 MNV is a frequent event in the fellow eye of patients newly diagnosed with unilateral exudative T3 MNV and it precedes the development of exudation over 3 years (prevalence of 37% and cumulative incidence of 79%). Optical coherence tomography angiography approach may be used to perform an early diagnosis and treatment of patients with T3 MNV.