CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN 2ND EYES OF PATIENTS WITH UNILATERAL EXUDATIVE AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Purpose: To evaluate patients with unilateral occult choroidal neovasc ularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) for the nature of the neovascularization which develops in the fellow eyes. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed unilateral occult CNV wer e followed prospectively for the development of CNV in the fellow eye. Patients were classified based on the type of occult CNV in the first eye: (1) those with associated serous pigment epithelial detachment ( serous FED) and (2) those without, Demographic and clinical data, incl uding the type of CNV in the second eyes, were compared. Results: Chor oidal neovascularization developed in 115 patients in the second eye. Fifty-six patients had occult CNV with a serous FED (also termed vascu larized FED) in the first eye, and 59 patients had occult CNV without serous FED. The two groups did not differ significantly in the demogra phic and the clinical features evaluated. Well-delineated (or classic) CNV developed in the fellow eye of one patient in each group. Of the remaining 55 patients with vascularized FED in the first eye, the same type of occult CNV developed in 48 (87%) patients in the second eye. Of 58 (84%) patients in the second group, the same type of occult CNV developed in the second eye of 49 patients. This symmetric distributio n of type of CNV between eyes is highly significant (P < 0.001). Concl usions. Eyes with occult CNV secondary to AMD can be classified by the presence or absence of an associated serous FED. Patients with unilat eral occult CNV have a significant risk of occult CNV developing in th e second eye, and the type of occult disease in the first eye is highl y predictive of the type of neovascularized disease in the second eye. These findings are important with respect to natural history, and pos sibly to the treatment response and visual prognosis of patients with neovascularized AMD.