OBJECTIVE

The authors describe the clinicopathologic features of surgically excised choroidal neovascular membranes imaged by indocyanine green angiography (ICG).

METHODS

Fifteen eyes from 15 patients with surgically excised subfoveal choroidal neovascular membranes underwent preoperative and postoperative ICG angiography. All excised membranes were examined by light microscopy for overall configuration and the presence of cellular and extracellular constituents. One membrane was examined by transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients had age-related macular degeneration and one had ocular histoplasmosis syndrome. Constituents in more than 50% of membranes included retinal pigment epithelium (15/15), vascular endothelium (14/15), inflammatory cells (10/15), and basal laminar deposit (8/15). Basil laminar deposit was present only in membranes of patients with age-related macular degeneration. Eleven membranes were located primarily under the retinal pigment epithelium and four were located primarily under the neurosensory retina. There appeared to be no correlation between the ICG appearance and the histopathologic configuration of the membranes.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgically excised ICG-imaged membranes correspond to subretinal pigment epithelium and subneurosensory retinal choroidal neovascularization.