Spontaneous remodeling of the peripheral retinal vasculature in sickling disorders.
Periodic photographic and angiographic surveys of patients with the earliest stages of sickle retinopathy showed a number of fundus findings. In seven cases (sickle cell anemia, four; sickle cell hemoglobin C, three), these findings included: (1) a variety of vascular abnormalities in the equatorial and post-equatorial retina such as segmented dilations of the vessel walls, hairpin-shaped vascular loops, hypertrophic, tortuous A-V anastomoses, intraluminal plugs, closure and loss of capillary bed, and terminal budding of capillaries; and (2) a continuous, spontaneous remodeling of the peripheral retinal vasculature due to successive closures and reopenings of equatorial retinal vessels. A centripetal recession of the peripheral retinal vasculature usually resulted. No correlation between the ophthalmoscopic and the systemic condition of the patients could be made.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006445:Hemoglobin C Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*