Proliferative sarcoid retinopathy

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a well-established cause of ocular neovascularization. A review of the literature, however; shows that it has been implicated as the cause for retinal neovascularization in only a limited number of patients. In this article, the authors report the clinical features of proliferative sarcoid retinopathy in seven additional patients (11 eyes). All 11 eyes displayed retinal neovascularization. In addition, two of the eyes had optic disc neovascularization, whereas iris neovascularization developed in one. In all cases, the new retinal vessels were associated with concomitant peripheral retinal capillary nonperfusion. These findings support the theory that in sarcoidosis, capillary nonperfusion secondary to microvascular shutdown, rather than a direct effect of inflammation, is the stimulus for the formation of retinal neovascularization.