Diagnosing and Managing Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy - Takeaways - MDSpire

Diagnosing and Managing Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a distinct choroidal vascular disorder often considered a variant of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), although features such as drusen, pigmentary changes, and geographic atrophy are uncommon.

  • By

  • Giulia Gregori, MD

  • Jay Chhablani, MD

  • March 1, 2026

  • 9 min

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  • 1

    Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a distinct choroidal vascular disorder primarily affecting middle-aged Black women.

  • 2

    PCV is associated with risk factors such as smoking, male sex, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and elevated inflammatory markers.

  • 3

    Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) is the gold standard for diagnosing PCV, revealing branching vascular networks and polypoidal lesions.

  • 4

    Recent advances in imaging have shifted diagnosis from ICGA to non-invasive methods like optical coherence tomography (OCT) with high accuracy.

  • 5

    Current treatment options for PCV include photodynamic therapy, intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy, and laser photocoagulation.

Original Source(s)

Diagnosing and Managing Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

  • by Giulia Gregori, MD, Jay Chhablani, MD

  • March 1, 2026

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