Objective To investigate the characteristics and analyze the differences of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) image between exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and central exudative chorioretinopathy (CEC) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Twenty-three eyes of 22 patients with exudative AMD and 20 eyes of 19 patients with CEC, which were diagnosed as CNV using fundus fluorescein angiograph (FFA) or indocyanine green angiograph ( ICGA), were examined by OCT.The size of CNV and the thickness of retinal neurosen sory layer in foveola were measured by OCT software. Results On OCT image, CNV had three main types of morphological features including simple CNV, CNV with serous retinal neurosensory layer detachment and CNV with choroidoretinal exudation. Exudative AMD mainly showed CNV with choroidoretinal exudation (56.52%) and CEC showed simple CNV (90.0%). The thickness of retinal neurosensory layer in foveola of patients with exudative AMD was thicker than that of patients with CEC and the size of CNV of patients with exudative AMD was larger than that of patients with CEC. Negative correlation was found between retinal neurosensory layer thickness in foveola and vision in both groups (gamma;=-0.521, P=0.001). Conclusions There were certain discrepancy in morphology and area in volved of CNV between exudative AMD and CEC on OCT images. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2001,17:299-302)