Cavernous hemangioma associated with retinal macrovessels

The purpose of this study was to report two unusual cases of retinal cavernous hemangiomas in conjunction with retinal macrovessels.

Observational case study. Two patients with unilateral retinal cavernous hemangiomas and no signs or symptoms of systemic disease were evaluated with full ophthalmic examination and underwent fundus photography and fluorescein angiography.

Patient 1 had 20/20 visual acuity bilaterally and a normal funduscopic examination of the right eye. The left eye showed diffuse clusters of saccular aneurysms associated with a dilated superotemporal venous arcade that crossed the horizontal raphe temporally. Patient 2 had 20/30 visual acuity in the right eye and 20/20 visual acuity in the left eye. Funduscopic examination of the left eye was normal, but the right eye demonstrated multiple clusters of saccular dilations along the course of a dilated inferior retinal vein that crossed the horizontal raphe temporally. On fluorescein angiography, both patients had fluid-erythrocyte levels within the saccular aneurysms and areas of capillary nonperfusion anterior to the tumor.

Retinal cavernous hemangioma is a rare hamartoma that is typically isolated. However, it may be associated with other major abnormalities of the retinal vascular pattern. The authors describe two unique cases of a retinal cavernous hemangioma in conjunction with a retinal macrovessel.