Choroidal neovascularization due to punctate inner choroidopathy: long-term follow-up and review of literature

Dimitrios Brouzas, Antonios Charakidas, Tryfon Rotsos, Marilita M Moschos, Helen Loukianou, Chryssanthy Koutsandrea, Ioannis Ladas, Stefanos Baltatzis

First Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece

Introduction: The aim of the article was to report on the long-term follow-up of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) cases secondary to punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC) either treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) or followed without treatment. A comprehensive review of existing literature on the various treatment modalities is incorporated.

Methods: Nine eyes of 8 female patients with CNV due to PIC were followed retrospectively for an average of 105 months (range, 36–162 months). Mean age of the patient cohort on presentation was 28 years (range, 21–39). Four eyes were treated with PDT, whereas in 4 patients, including 1 with bilateral involvement, the disease followed its natural course without treatment. Snellen visual acuity and the extent of neovascularization and subretinal fibrosis were evaluated on presentation and at the end of the follow-up period.

Results: Improvement of vision was observed in 6 eyes (66.7%), including all cases treated with PDT, and in 2 of 5 eyes left untreated. The size of the neovascular lesion, including both CNV and subretinal fibrosis, increased in all cases left untreated (55.6%) and remained stable in all cases treated with PDT (44.4%).

Conclusion: Without treatment, the CNV due to PIC is slowly progressive. Our short cohort appears to have benefited from PDT in terms of maintaining visual acuity and stabilizing the extent of CNV and fibrosis.

Keywords: PIC natural course, PIC treatment