Peripheral retinal neovascularization in sarcoidosis with thalassemia

A black youth with peripheral retinal (sea fan) neovascularization had both sarcoidosis and alpha-thalassemia. The possibility that both of these disease entities were responsible for the observed pathology is explored. Most of the pathology present, the stasis, the hypoxia, and the vasoproliferation, is presumed to be due to the sarcoidosis. No definite relationship was established in this case for the alpha-thalassemia, a rare genetic abnormality of hemoglobin production.