THE MICROVASCULATURE IN MYELOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASE - A STUDY USING RETINAL FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY

Microvascular occlusion is known to be a feature of myeloproliferative diseases. Acute manifestations are well documented in individuals cau sing a variety of symptoms. However, it is not known whether ongoing m icrovascular changes are present in asymptomatic individuals. We inves tigated this further by using retinal intravenous fluorescein angiogra phy to image the microvasculature in patients with myeloproliferative disease. In our group of patients fluorescein angiography did not show any ongoing microvascular damage. There appears to be no intrinsic re tinal vasculopathy in patients with myeloproliferative disease, sugges ting that acute symptomatic events are caused by microemboli in an oth erwise normal vascular tree.