Lesions pose significant threat to vision

Primitive retinal vascular tumours and telangiectasias can cause significant visual impairment and accurate diagnosis is important in determining which treatment will be most appropriate in any particular case, according to a review of literature carried out by Karl Anders Knutsson MD and associates at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy. The authors noted that if these conditions are left untreated, chronic macular oedema and exudation can lead to drastic complications such as retinal detachment and consequent neovascular glaucoma. OCT findings aid the diagnosis of these conditions and offer important information regarding the disease and eventual therapeutic management. The current therapeutic strategies are aimed at reducing lesion growth, amount of exudation and to prevent or resolve complications. They include laser photocoagulation, intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs, cry therapy and PDT.

(Knutsen et al, Ophthalmologica 2012; DOI: 10.1159/000338230.)