Clinical Presentations of Focal Choroidal Excavation and Results of Long-term Follow-up

Seok Hyun Lee; Jae Hui Kim; Jong Woo Kim; Chul Gu Kim; Dong Won Lee; Young Ju Lew; Han Joo Cho; Joo Yeon Kim

doi:10.3341/jkos.2019.60.6.541

Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.60(6) > 1127185

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Lee, Kim, Kim, Kim, Lee, Lew, Cho, and Kim: Clinical Presentations of Focal Choroidal Excavation and Results of Long-term Follow-up

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2019; 60(6): 541-546.

Published online: 17 June 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2019.60.6.541

Clinical Presentations of Focal Choroidal Excavation and Results of Long-term Follow-up

Seok Hyun Lee, MD, Jae Hui Kim, MD, Jong Woo Kim, MD, Chul Gu Kim, MD, Dong Won Lee, MD, Young Ju Lew, MD, Han Joo Cho, MD, Joo Yeon Kim, MD

Department of Ophthalmology, Kim's Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to Jae Hui Kim, MD. Kim's Eye Hospital, #136 Yeongsin-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 07301, Korea. Tel: 82-2-2639-7665, Fax: 82-2-2639-6359, kjh7997@daum.net

Received 6 December 2018 Revised 13 January 2019 Accepted 16 May 2019

The Korean Ophthalmological Society

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the clinical presentations of focal choroidal excavation and to report long-term outcomes of cases without retinal disorders at the initial presentation.

Methods

A retrospective review of medical records was performed for patients diagnosed with focal choroidal excavation. Concomitant retinal disorders at the initial presentation were identified. In cases without retinal disorders, the development of retinal disorders during follow-up was also evaluated.

Results

Forty-five eyes in 45 patients were examined in this study. Focal choroidal excavation was accompanied with retinal disorders in 16 eyes (35.6%). In the remaining 29 eyes, only focal choroidal excavation was noted without any accompanying retinal disorders. The accompanying retinal disorders included choroidal neovascularization (n = 8), central serous chorioretinopathy (n = 4), epiretinal membrane (n = 1), macular hole (n = 1), branch retinal vein occlusion (n = 1), and uveitis (n = 1). Of the 29 eyes without retinal disorders, 22 were followed up for a mean period of 33.5 ± 18.2 months. Consequently, choroidal neovascularization was found to have developed in one eye at 59 months, and subretinal fluid had developed in two eyes at 17 and 28 months, respectively.

Conclusions

Focal choroidal excavation was accompanied by retinal disorders in 35.6% of the included patients. In patients without retinal disorders, the development of a retinal disorder was noted in some eyes, suggesting the need for long-term regular follow-up in patients diagnosed with focal choroidal excavation.

Keywords: Central serous chorioretinopathy, Choroidal neovascularization, Focal choroidal excavation

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

A representative figure showing focal choroidal excavation. Note thick choroid with pachyvessels (asterisks).

Figure 2

Clinical course of a focal choroidal excavation found in 29-year-old patient. At the diagnosis, there was no retinal disorder (A). The patients were regularly followed-up. At 59 months (B-D), subretinal fluid and hemorrhage was noted on fundus examination (B). Development of choroidal neovascularization was confirmed on fluorescein angiography (C) and optical coherence tomography (D). The patient was referred to the other hospital.

Figure 3

Clinical course of a focal choroidal excavation found in 37-year-old patient. At the diagnosis, there was no retinal disorder (A). The patients were regularly followed-up. Development of subretinal fluid was noted at 17 months (B), but spontaneously resolved after 2 months (C). At 28 months (D), recurrence of subretinal fluid was noted.

Table 1

Characteristics of included patients (n = 45)

Values are presented as mean ± standard deviation or number (%).

logMAR = logarithm of minimal angle of resolution.

^*Data from 16 patients with retinal disorder were presented.

Notes

^{Conflicts of Interest} The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

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