Methods A retrospective study was carried on 38 PCV patients (41 eyes) diagnosed by fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). The BCVA, status of foveal IS/OS junction and FAF by SD-OCT were recorded. Inclusion criteria: 1. Patients diagnosed with PCV by FFA and ICGA; 2. Polyp lesions in the macular foveolar avascular zone; 3. Patients with a BCVA greater than or equal to 0.02 in the study eye; 4. Willing and able to comply with all study procedures. Exclusion criteria: 1. Wet age-related macular degeneration, myopic choroidal neovascularization, Central exudative chorioretinopathy, and other choroidal neovascular diseases; 2. Subfoveal fibrosis or RPE atrophy in the study eye; 3. severe refractive media opacity (such as cataract, Ⅲ degree vitreous opacity, vitreous hemorrhage). The diameter of the autofluorescence ring by FAF and the length of the IS/OS line in SD-OCT images were determined by Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient.

Results The BCVA in 38 patients (41, male 28, female 12) ranged from 0.04 to 0.8; the mean age was 71.8 years (63-78). (1) The BCVA ≥ 0.1 was detected in 23 eyes. Complete or discontinuous foveal photoreceptor IS / OS line was observed in 18 eyes (78.3%), no (dispeared) IS/OS line was in 5 eyes (21.7%). There was a significant higher proportion of complete or discontinuous foveal photoreceptor IS / OS line than that of no IS/OS line in eyes with BCVA ≥ 0.1 (P < 0.001). (2) In 19 FAF images, decreased FAF was detected in 12 eyes (63.2%); moderate FAF in 5 eyes (26.3%); increased FAF was in 2 eyes (10.5%). In the19 eyes, the diameter of abnormal fluorescence area (4190.3 ± 1307.1μm) was correlated significantly with the diameter of damaged IS / OS line in corresponding OCT images (4211.1 ± 1391.4μm; r = 0.975, P <0.001).

Conclusions The integrity of foveal photoreceptor cells is an important factor to maintain good vision in PCV patients. The damaged photoreceptor IS / OS in OCT images is closely related with the abnormal FAF in PCV patients. Polypoid lesions mainly show hypofluorescence imaging in FAF.