Retinal capillary hemangiomas: clinical manifestations and visual prognosis.
BACKGROUND
To describe the clinical features, visual outcomes, and therapeutic complications of patients with retinal capillary hemangiomas.


METHODS
A retrospective, non-comparative, observational case study of patients diagnosed with retinal capillary hemangiomas was conducted. Twelve patients (13 eyes) at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital of Kaohsiung from July 1987 to June 2001 were reviewed. Pre- and post-treatment visual acuity and ocular complications are described.


RESULTS
One patient had bilateral and another had unilateral juxtapapillary hemangiomas. All of the other 10 patients were diagnosed with peripheral retinal capillary hemangiomas. More patients had retinal capillary hemangiomas located in the temporal peripheral retina and all had endophytic growth patterns. No patient met the diagnostic criteria of von Hippel-Lindau disease. Visual acuity levels of peripheral retinal hemangiomas without exudative retinal detachment often remained the same after focal laser treatment. Two patients received vitreoretinal surgery. Patients with juxtapapillary hemangiomas had variable visual outcomes and visual field defects during follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Early diagnosis of capillary hemangiomas in the retinal periphery and treatment by focal laser produced good visual outcomes. If untreated, the tumors may eventually be complicated with exudative retinal detachment and have a worse visual prognosis even with vitreoretinal surgery.
Kuo
Ming-Tse
MT
Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
Kou
Hsi-Kung
HK
Kao
Min-Lun
ML
Tsai
Ming-Hsiung
MH
Chen
Yung-Jen
YJ
Lin
Sue-Ann
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018324:Hemangioma, Capillary / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008025:Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D014792:Visual Acuity; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; D006623:von Hippel-Lindau Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis
D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; D008025:Ligases; C497446:VHL protein, human