Nonneovascular

Nonneovascular is a medical term used to describe tissues, lesions, or pathological processes that lack neovascularization, i.e., the formation of new blood vessels. The word combines non- with neovascular, and it is used across several specialties to distinguish conditions that do not involve angiogenesis from those that do.

In ophthalmology, nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration, often referred to as dry AMD, is characterized by the presence of drusen and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium without choroidal neovascularization. This form contrasts with neovascular (wet) AMD, which involves abnormal growth of new blood vessels beneath the retina and can lead to fluid leakage, hemorrhage, and faster vision loss. Diagnosis typically relies on imaging methods such as optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography to determine whether CNV is present.

Outside the eye, nonneovascular describes tissues or lesions that do not induce new blood vessel formation. This descriptor can have implications for prognosis and treatment, since angiogenesis is a common target in therapies for cancer and other diseases. In this broader sense, nonneovascular conditions are identified by the absence of angiogenic activity rather than by a single uniform disease entity.

The term is primarily descriptive and should be interpreted within its specific clinical context. It is important to distinguish nonneovascular from neovascular or angiogenic processes, as these differences influence diagnostic approaches and management strategies.

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