POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY

Course overview

POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY (PCV) IS AN EXUDATIVE MACULOPATHY CHARACTERIZED BY MULTIPLE RECURRENT SEROSANGUINEOUS RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL DETACHMENTS (PED). THE CAUSE OF PCV IS CONSIDERED TO BE DUE TO INNER CHOROIDAL VESSEL ABNORMALITIES. THESE VESSELS HAVE MULTIPLE, SMALL, POLYP-SHAPED ANEURYSMS THAT FORM AS A RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE VASCULAR LINING. THESE VESSELS HAVE THINNED OUT ENDOTHELIAL CELLS AND REDUCED PERICYTES COMPARED TO NORMAL VASCULATURE. IT IS SIMILAR TO NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IN MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF POLYPOIDAL CHOROIDAL VASCULOPATHY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.