To report the clinical finding of 3 patients with focal choroidal excavation in the macula detected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

Five eyes of 3 patients with focal choroidal excavation detected by SD-OCT were enrolled in the present study. All patients had myopia (average refractive power -5.60 diopter). Two of the 3 patients had focal choroidal excavation in both eyes. All 5 eyes revealed foveal pigmentary changes on fundus examination. The excavation area in the autofluorescence image was hypofluorescent. Fluorescein angiographic finding was normal to various degrees of hyperfluoresence. Indocyanine green angiography revealed hypofluoresence at the excavation area. The excavation involoved from the retinal pigment epithelium layer to the external limiting membrane or outer nuclear layer and average choroidal thickness at excavation were statistically thinner than the uninvolved area based on SD-OCT ( p = 0.002). Retinoschisis, serous pigment epithelial detachment and choroidal neovascularziation (CNV) were detected individually in 3 eyes. The other 2 eyes had no specific abnormalities.

During the follow-up period, the choroidal excavation remained relatively stable in 4 of 5 eyes, but CNV developed in 1 eye. Therefore, intravitreal bevacizumab injection was performed. Longer follow-up periods are necessary to determine the etiology, clinical course and visual prognosis of eyes with focal choroidal excavation.