![]() Early diagnosis and treatment, however, may restore vision and prevent further vision loss in some patients. Unfortunately, some patients with PCV experience irreversible central vision loss in one or both eyes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning of the retina is also routinely used to aid in diagnosis of PCV. These 2 tests are able to create detailed images of the retinal and choroidal blood vessels, which can assist your retina specialist in identifying important abnormalities.īoth tests require a special dye to be injected into a vein (usually in the arm or hand) before retinal photographs are taken. In addition, fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography may be useful (Figure 2). The most important test used to diagnose PCV is a careful dilated eye examination by your retina specialist. Copyright American Society of Retina Specialists 2016 Image courtesy of the ASRS Retina Image Bank, contributed by John S. ![]() ICG angiography revealing abnormal, balloonshaped “polyp” in center of right macula (arrow). Although PCV appears to affect only one eye in some patients, it often goes on to affect both eyes over time, so frequent monitoring is important.įigure 2. The abnormal vessels in PCV may also cause scarring or loss (sometimes called atrophy) of retinal tissue. Shares some clinical features with wet age-related macular degeneration The abnormal vessels in PCV cause vision loss when they leak fluid or blood into or under the retina (Figure 1).Affects those of Asian and African descent more than Caucasians.Tends to occur in individuals over the age of 60 (but may occur much younger).PCV is characterized by abnormally shaped vessels in the choroid, but the precise causes of PCV remain a mystery. Your retina specialist may even diagnose PCV early before it has caused any symptoms. These symptoms may appear suddenly and tend not to vary throughout the day. Patients with PCV often experience blurred vision or a blind spot in (or near) the center of their vision in one or both eyes. He is fluent in the Spanish Language and holds himself to a high standard in offering compassionate patient care.Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a disease primarily affecting the vascular layer of blood vessels in the choroid (pronounced CORE oid), resulting in damage to the overlying retina where the photoreceptor cells responsible for vision reside (see illustration). He treasures his time with his family and believes in a work hard-play hard life philosophy. He boasts a unique hobby in extravagant pumpkin carving. He enjoys music including jazz piano, singing, and guitar. Andersen grew up in The Last Frontier (Anchorage, Alaska) and naturally has an affinity for the outdoors. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.ĭr. In particular, he has been involved in nearly a dozen clinical trials investigating the efficacy and safety of treatments for diabetic macular edema and neovascular age-related macular degeneration. He has completed both clinical and bench research in various areas of ophthalmology and has multiple publications. ![]() ![]() He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Society of Retina Specialists. Andersen is a retina specialist and has a particular interest in the treatment of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, macular holes and puckers, retinal detachments, and many other inherited and acquired vitreoretinal disorders. Finally, he completed a two-year Vitreoretinal Surgery fellowship at Midwest Retina, a busy private retina practice in Columbus, OH.ĭr. He completed his ophthalmology residency training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE where he received the "Golden Hands" award for demonstrating exceptional competence in ophthalmologic surgery. He was elected as Chief Resident. He attended medical school at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, WA and completed his internship at Virginia Mason Medical Center in general surgery. Andersen attended Brigham Young University in Provo, UT where he received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and graduated with University Honors. ![]()
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