MYELINATED NERVE-FIBERS AND RETINAL VASCULAR ABNORMALITIES

Background/Purpose: Abnormal retinal vessels may develop in a region o f myelinated nerve fibers, and these vessels may cause vitreous hemorr hages. Methods: The clinical histories of seven patients with retinova scular abnormalities in a patch of myelinated nerve fibers are present ed, None of the reported patients had other evidence of systemic disea se. The cases were traced by a multicentric retrospective study. Resul ts: Retinal vascular abnormalities ranged from mild telangiectasis to frank neovascularization, with or without obstruction of the capillary network and signs of branch artery and vein occlusion. Age at diagnos is ranged from 15 to 68 years. Vitreous hemorrhages occurred in the fo ur youngest patients and occurred at 15, 27, 27, and 43 years of age. Laser photocoagulation was applied in three patients and vitrectomy wa s performed in one. Conclusion: The authors' findings suggest that the abnormal structure of the myelinated nerve fibers and the thickened n erve fiber layer of the affected portions of retina may play a role in the onset of retinal vascular abnormalities and eventually cause tela ngiectasis, branch artery and vein occlusion, neovascularization, and vitreous hemorrhages. This suggestion is based on the absence of other causes of neovascularization or vitreous hemorrhage in all seven pati ents, and on the relatively young age of four of the patients with thi s association.