To describe the clinical and imaging findings in patients with focal choroidal excavation.Methods: Retrospective observational case series. The medical records of 12 patients (13 eyes) with focal choroidal excavation were reviewed. Clinical histories and imaging findings (including color photography, fundus autofluorescence imaging, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography) were analyzed.Results: The mean age of the patients was 45 years (range, 22-62 years). Four patients were Asian. Mean visual acuity was 20/31 (range, 20/20 to 20/100). Mean refractive error was −3.54 diopters (D) (range, 6.00 to −8.00 D). One patient had bilateral involvement. All patients manifested varying degrees of foveal pigmentary changes that were usually hypoautofluorescent on fundus autofluorescence images. Fluorescein angiographic findings varied with degree of retinal pigment epithelial alterations. Indocyanine green angiography revealed relative hypofluorescence. In 7 eyes, spectral-domain optical coher-
Nd:YAG membranotomy is a non-invasive, office-based treatment option that may be successfully used to treat premacular hemorrhage secondary to valsalva retinopathy.
Based on this study, patients with SCA7 often have visual symptoms that may precede, accompany, or follow the onset of ataxic symptoms. The severity of vision loss and ataxia may be discordant. Ophthalmoscopic evidence of macular abnormalities may be scant, but results of ERG will always be abnormal. This information may assist in earlier and more cost-effective diagnosis and permit more effective patient counseling.
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