Is subretinal surgery feasible for a non-responsive juxtafoveal type 2 choroidal neovascular membrane?

Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2019 May 10:15:100460. doi: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2019.100460. eCollection 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the long-term outcome of a patient with multifocal choroiditis, who underwent surgical removal of a type 2 choroidal neovascular membrane employing 23 G pars plana vitrectomy.

Observations: A 50-year-old man was treated with 3 monthly intravitreal bevacizumab injections, but despite treatment, visual acuity continued to worsen from 20/40 to 20/100, and bleeding was not receding. A minimal invasive pars plana vitrectomy was performed for surgical removal of the neovascular complex without any complicating incident. Subsequent visual acuity was 20/25 for more than eleven years.

Conclusions and importance: Surgical removal of choroidal neovascular membranes employing minimal invasive surgery in addition to anti-VEGF therapy, and OCT evaluation can be a viable approach for selected cases of juxtafoveal type 2 CNV.

Keywords: Anti-VEGF therapy; Choroidal neovascular membrane; Pars plana vitrectomy; Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Publication types

  • Case Reports