Direct and feeder vessel photocoagulation of retinal angiomas with dye yellow laser

Abstract

Dye yellow laser photocoagulation (577 nm) was used to treat 14 retinal angiomas in nine patients. Eight patients had von Hippel-Lindau disease. Treatment was applied either directly to the tumor surface or to the feeding artery. Seven of eight angiomas that were treated directly and five of six that had feeder vessel treatment only were ablated successfully using dye yellow laser alone (mean follow-up, 11.1 months). An average of 2.2 treatments for feeder vessel and 1.1 treatments for direct ablation was required. Neither treatment caused decreased vision or severe complications. Dye yellow laser photocoagulation allows for effective treatment of retinal angiomas even when applied to the feeder vessel alone.