title: Retinal capillary hemangiomas: clinical manifestations and visual prognosis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ming-Tse
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Hsi-Kung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.forename: Min-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Ming-Hsiung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yung-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sue-Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D051794:Von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein; D008025:Ligases; C497446:VHL protein, human