Hemangiomalike masses of the retina

Abstract

We have followed five patients, each of whom had a solitary unilateral vascular mass of the sensory retina. The lesions were white or pink and often had hemorrhage and exudate on their surface or surrounding area. They appeared to be acquired, as three of the five patients were specifically noted to have normal fundi at some time before presentation. Fluorescein angiography and angioscopy demonstrated the masses to be composed of numerous vessels supplied by the retinal circulation. Slow growth was documented in one patient. Visual loss was variable and was due to leakage-related complications, including exudative detachment, recurrent vitreous hemorrhage, and cystoid macular edema. Four patients were treated with cryopexy, and in all four, this successfully caused involution of the lesions. Two patients had improvement in vision after treatment: one had stabilization, and one had deterioration. This report provides support for the existence of a distinct entity that we have called hemangiomalike mass of the retina, since no histopathologic evidence is yet available (to our knowledge). It also supports the use of judicious cryopexy to lesions associated with visual loss.