Purpose To compare the utility of fluorescein angiography (FA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) as diagnostic adjuncts in evaluating symptomatic patients with choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) due to multifocal choroiditis (MFC).

Methods Patients with CNV due to MFC were retrospectively evaluated in a consecutive fashion. Fundus photography, FA, OCT and biomicroscopy were used to establish the diagnosis. Primary outcome measures included CNV classification (type 1 or occult and type 2 or classic) location and the associated FA and OCT findings.

Results Twenty eyes from 17 patients were included in the study. In 19 eyes (95%) the FA revealed CNV type 2; in one eye (5%) the type of CNV was indeterminate due to a subretinal haemorrhage that covered the lesion. Thirteen eyes had OCT imaging and all revealed hyper-reflectance beneath the neurosensory retina. However, only 53.8% revealed subretinal fluid (SRF) or intraretinal cystic abnormalities.

Conclusions The CNV in MFC is virtually always type 2, or so-called classic CNV, with vessels beneath the neurosensory retina. Except when blocked by subretinal blood, the neovascularisation is clearly demonstrated by FA. In contrast, only 53.8% of these eyes showed clear evidence of actively proliferating neovascularisation on OCT. Therefore, eyes suspected of having CNV in MFC should be evaluated with FA.