The Recurrent Submacular Hemorrhage after Removal of Sub-Internal Limiting Membrane Hemorrhage with Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysm

PURPOSE: To report a case of a recurrent macular hemorrhage that developed after surgical removal of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) for subintimal hemorrhage due to retinal macroaneurysm. CASE SUMMARY: A 75-year-old female was admitted to the hospital complaining of decreased vision in the left eye which had started 3 weeks previously. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the right and left eye was 0.7 and 0.03, respectively. The intraocular pressure (IOP) of the right and left eye was 10 mm Hg and 12 mm Hg, respectively. On the fundus examination, macular preretinal and subretinal hemorrhage was observed and a diagnosis of retinal arterial macroaneurym of the inferonasal major artery was made. Vitrectomy was performed. After indocyanine green dye staining, the sub-ILM hemorrhage was treated with removal of the ILM. At postoperative day 3, the annular chorioretinal folds were observed due to the hypotony (4 mm Hg). However, the absence of leakage was confirmed through the sclerotomy site. At postoperative day 8, recurrent submacular hemorrhage occurred and the hemorrhage was observed to have spread after intravitreal C3F8 gas injection and when the patient was placed in the prone position. At postoperative 4 months, the hemorrhage that had invaded the macular area was completely resolved. The BCVA was 0.3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: When removing a sub-ILM hemorrhage due to retinal macroaneurysm, recurrent hemorrhage can occur especially in a patient with ocular hypotony, as in the present case report. Physicians should be aware of this possibility and the proper treatment the condition requires.

Therapeutic Effect of Diode Laser Photodynamic Therapy with ICG Dye in ARMD: A Case Report

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diode laser photodynamic therapy efficacy on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the treatment of three patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). METHODS: The authors selected three patients with ARMD whose vision has decreased due to CNV, and applied diode laser treatment after injecting an indocyanine green (ICG) solution. The patients were followed for at least three months after treatment, and examinations included evaluating vision changes and possible leakage on fluorescein angiography (FAG). RESULTS: The final vision of two patients improved by more than one line on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart after at least three months of follow-up. However, the final vision of the third patient decreased by one line on ETDRS chart. FAG was done in all patients, and in two of the patients, there was no evidence of leakage at the laser-applied site. In the other patient, there was evidence of minimal leakage, with the area of leakage decreasing by more than fifty percent. Side effects of ICG were not found during or after the photodynamic therapy sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The photodynamic usage of ICG treatment of CNV in patients with ARMD, was effective in preventing or improving the visual outcome. Compared to the widely used verteporfin, ICG is more stable and is more cost effective. The authors therefore came to a conclusion that ICG can be very useful in the treatment of CNV. However, further studies are necessary.