Histopathologic and Ultrastructural Findings of Surgically Excised Choroidal Neovascularization

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Abstract
OPHTHALMIC surgeons have been performing submacular surgery to remove subfoveal choroidal neovascularization(CNV) in some eyes with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (OHS), myopia, punctate inner choroiditis, and idiopathic causes.1-3 The Submacular Surgery Trials (SST) Research Group was formed to conduct randomized clinical trials to evaluate whether submacular surgery is successful in stabilizing or improving visual acuity when compared with observation in patients with ARMD who have new subfoveal CNV (designated as group N), recurrent subfoveal CNV (group R), or large subfoveal subretinal hemorrhages (group B).4 The SST was also designed to evaluate the efficacy of surgery in patients with subfoveal CNV due to OHS or idiopathic causes (group H, hereafter referred to as the non-ARMD group). The SST investigators enrolled patients in a pilot study to evaluate the safety of this procedure for these groups. Surgically excised tissue was submitted on a voluntary basis for histopathologic examination to confirm the clinical diagnosis of CNV and to identify the tissue that was removed.