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Pathological features of surgically excised polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy membranes
Author(s) -
Kuroiwa Sachiko,
Tateiwa Hisashi,
Hisatomi Toshio,
Ishibashi Tatsuro,
Yoshimura Nagahisa
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
clinical and experimental ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.3
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1442-9071
pISSN - 1442-6404
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9071.2004.00827.x
Subject(s) - medicine , basement membrane , pathology , pathological , indocyanine green , choroid , indocyanine green angiography , elastic fiber , angiography , anatomy , ophthalmology , fluorescein angiography , radiology , retinal , biology , retina , neuroscience
Abstract The histopathological features are reported of surgically excised specimens from five patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, which had been diagnosed by indocyanine green angiography. On stereomicroscopy, four of the five cases demonstrated large choroidal arterioles with an inner elastic layer. Disruption of the inner elastic layer and arteriosclerotic changes of the vessels were identified by light microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated increased deposition of basement membrane‐like material, together with collagen fibres, in the arteriolar walls. This study indicates that large choroidal arterioles and venules can be found in excised specimens from patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and arteriosclerosis is an important pathological feature.