The Variants of Macular Choroidal Veins in ICG Angiography

ABSTRACT

The choroidal vascular structure in macula is anatomically different from that in other region. And choroidal venous drainage in macula represents various types. This study attempted to classify the choroidal venous drainage in macula and focused on the relationship between the choroidal venous drainage type and a disease involving macula, esp. age-related macular degeneration(ARMD). The authors performed indocyanine green(ICG) angiography in 115 eyes (93 patients) without macular disease and in 31 eyes (24 patients) with ARMD, which were presented with choroidal new vessels. The choroidal venous drainage in macula was classified as 4 types. They were superotemporal drainage, inferotemporal drainage, horizontal watershed, and irregular type. The most common type of choroidal venous drainage was horizontal watershed type which was showed in 55 eyes (48%) without macular diease and 15 eyes (48%) with ARMD. Any relationship between a type of choroidal venous, drainage and ARMD was not found.