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¹G.Ü.Göz Hastalıkları ABD.
²SSK Ankara Ulucanlar Göz Hastanesi 1. Göz Kliniği.
³Karaelmas Üniversitesi Göz Hastalıkları ABD. Essentially anything that alters the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch's membrane can cause choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The histopathologic feature common to many eyes that develops CNV is break in Bruch's membrane and degenerative (pathologic) myopia is a common cause of CNV. In this study 26 degenerative myopic eyes of 26 patients with choroidal neovascularization were reviwed to discuss therapeutic modalities against choroidal neovascularisation in degenerative myopia. Fourteen patients were men and 12 were women: their average age at initial visit was 51 (range, 23-73 years). Visual acuities were between finger counts and 20/20. Localisations of CNV's were found as subfoveolar (SF) in 17 eyes, juxtafoveolar(JF) in 4 eyes and extrafoveolar (EF) in 5 eyes.
Laser photocoagulation therapy was applied to 5 eyes with EF localisation and control angiographies showed dry scar formation of CNV's in these eyes. Rest of the eyes were followed without any treatment. Mean follow-up period was 14 months (range 6-26 months). During the follow-up period visual acuity decreased in 2 of the laser treated eyes and almost same in the other 3 laser treated eyes. In the non treated eyes, in eyes with SF CNV's, visual acuity remained the same in 8 eyes(47%), increased in 1 eye(6%) and decreased in 8 eyes(47%). In eyes with JF CNV's, visual acuity decreased in 2 eyes (50%) and remained the same in 2 (50%) eyes.
The treatment of CNV complicating degenerative myopia remains contraversial, particularly because the natural history appears to be variable. Laser photocoagulation can be applied in CNV's complicating degenerative myopia for only selected cases depending on the localisation. Keywords : Degenerative myopia, choroidal neovascularization, laser photocoagulation