Idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis: Clinical pattern in 19 cases

Background: Idiopathic juxtafoveolar telangiectasis (IJT) is a rare retinal vasculopathy of adulthood that may cause central loss of visual acuity. Th e purpose of this paper is to evaluate the type and distribution of fundus changes in patients with this disorder. Methods: Medical records of 19 pati ents with IJT using the Gass & Blodi classification were studied. Eight pat ients in group 1A (42%) and 11 in group 2A (58%) were analyzed. By projecti ng color photographs we divided the macula into four quadrants and studied the fundus changes in each one. Results: All patients in group 1A presented unilateral disease with easily seen telangiectasis, lipid deposits and cys tic macular edema. The mean age of this group was 55.8 years. Five (63%) pa tients were male and 3 (37%) were female. All patients in group 2A, 2 males (18%) and 9 females (82%), had bilateral disease evidenced by fluorescein angiography. The mean age of this group was 54.5 years. Fundoscopic finding s in eluded: intraretinal pigment plaques, grayish coloring of the macular retina, superficial crystalline deposits, right-angle venules, subretinal a nd intraretinal neovascularization. Conclusions: All patients in this surve y were adults. In group 1A, men were affected 2 times more often than women , and the main affected macular quadrant was the inferior temporal, followe d by the inferior nasal. In group 2A, women were affected 4 times more ofte n than men and all eyes had inferior and superior temporal macular quadrant involvement. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.