Detection of subretinal neovessels with indocyanine green videoangiography

Objective: To evaluate the ability of indocyanine green videoangiography to delineate the subretinal neovascular membranes and to compare with fluorescein angiography.

Methods: Between August 1993 and November 1994, digital fluorescein and indocyanine green videoangiography was performed in 214 eyes of 108 cases. Of the 108 cases, 96 had age-related macular degeneration, 6 had angioid streaks and 3 had degenerative myopia.

Results: On fluorescein angiography, 47 of the 214 eyes had well-defined and 42 had occult subretinal neovascular membrane. Occult membranes were clearly delineated with indocyanine green angiography. Using these two angiographies, we could detect subretinal neovascular membrane in 89 eyes. These membranes were in 79 of the 181 eyes with age-related macular degeneration, 5 of the 12 eyes with angioid streaks and 2 of the 6 eyes with degenerative myopia. In addition, 3 eyes of the 3 cases had idiopathic subretinal neovascular membranes.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that ICG videoangiography is an adjunctive diagnostic tool to fluorescein angiography in the detection of subretinal neovascular membranes in age-related macular degeneration and in other chorioretinal pathologies.