Idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV)

Background The idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, also known as ''posterior uveal bleeding syndrome'' or ''multiple recurrent serosanguineous retinal pigment epithelial detachments in black women'' is a rare disease entity. A clincopathologic correlation of a patient with this disease is presented. Case report A 47-year-old black woman was evaluated for a decrease of visual acuity in her right eye which had occurred over the last 3 months. Ophthalmic examination of her right eye revealed sub-RPE hemorrhage associated with a reddish-orange subretinal vascular-like lesion. In addition, both eyes displayed a few choroidal vascular-like bulbous structures in the superior temporal peripapillary region. The patient developed an extensive choroidal hemorrhage that led eventually to the enucleation of the eye. Conclusion Choroidal neovascular membranes (CNV) secondary to idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy differs in many aspects from other entities associated with CNV including clinical and fluorescein angiographic features, clinical course, and prognosis.