Fibrotic racemose haemangioma of the retina

The racemose - or arteriovenous - haemangioma of the retina is a rare developmental anomaly. It can be associated with similar vascular anomalies in other regions of the central nervous system (Wyburn-Mason syndrome).

We report a 24-year-old woman with a chronic headache from our outpatient clinic. Other than a white tortuous strand in the retina of the right eye, which resembled a filarium at first glance, no pathologies were found. Its ends were located at the optic disc forming a sling-shaped lesion extending to the anterior nasal periphery. Partial filling was shown by fluorescence angiography. An MRI of the neurocranium detected no additional vascular abnormalities.

So far our patient has not suffered from any visual complaints and she will be followed up yearly.

We show an unusual presentation of a retinal racemose haemangioma. Diagnosis of this entity should prompt further examinations to exclude any additional haemangiomas with respect to the Wyburn-Mason syndrome.