Angiographic features and disease outcomes of symptomatic retinal arterial macroaneurysms

Appearance of retinal arterial macroaneurysms in patients using swept-source optical coherence tomographic angiography

BACKGROUND

Retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) is a common clinical disease leading to vision loss in elderly individuals. The appropriate interpretation of swept-source optical coherence tomographic angiography (SS-OCTA), a noninvasive examination, is easy and convenient for detecting the status of RAMs and guiding treatment.

METHODS

The objectives of this study were to describe the morphologic characteristics of RAMs using SS-OCTA and to observe whether there are differences in the morphologies of RAMs between SS-OCTA and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), before and after treatment. We retrospectively evaluated twenty-two eyes of 22 patients who were diagnosed with RAMs. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including a review of medical records, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus photography, FFA and SS-OCTA. RAMs were recorded by SS-OCTA before any treatment or observation decisions were made. The morphologic findings of the RAMs on SS-OCTA were investigated.

RESULTS

On SS-OCTA, RAMs can show local dilatation or an irregular linear blood flow signal, and the dilated cystic lumen may show thrombosis with a low reflection signal. After treatment, the shape of the RAMs will show reactive changes. The findings on SS-OCTA are not very consistent with those on FFA.

CONCLUSIONS

The same RAM may have different manifestations on OCTA and FFA, and OCTA can more conveniently reflect the changes in blood flow signals and treatment response of RAMs.

Case Report: A Case of Perifoveal Exudative Vascular Anomalous Complex With a Good Prognosis

Significance: Perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex (PEVAC) is a unique clinical lesion. It manifests as isolated lesions and is easily misdiagnosed. Thus far, few PEVAC case reports have been published. PEVAC is typically inconsistent with other reported macular lesions.

Purpose: To report our 24-month follow-up experience on the treatment of PEVAC with a micropulse laser (MPL).

Case Report: A 56-year-old Chinese woman with no history of other diseases complained of decreased vision in her left eye that had persisted for more than 1 year. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed, including a vision test, slit lamp fundus exam, optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Intravitreal injection of ranibizumab was ineffective, and bleeding, exudation and visual acuity were not improved. After two rounds of micropulse laser (MPL) treatment, the patient was followed up, and the prognosis was good.

Conclusion: PEVAC is very rare, and early diagnosis is important, as the lesions readily cause irreversible damage. Our results indicate that an MPL can be used as an alternative treatment for PEVAC patients.

Outcomes of combined treatments in patients with retinal arterial macroaneurysm

Purpose:

To evaluate the outcome of the combined approach between intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) and focal laser photocoagulation (FLP) in the treatment of symptomatic retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM).

Methods:

A total of 10 patients were included in this clinical case series report. They were diagnosed with symptomatic RAM (one eye in each) and assessed by a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination, including fluorescein angiography (FA), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). All patients were treated with an IVR followed by an FLP 2 weeks later. If necessary, a second IVR was given 1 month after the first one (or 2 weeks after the first FLP), which was followed by a second FLP treatment 2 weeks later in the needed cases. All cases were followed up for 6 months after the last treatment.

Results:

Both the retina hemorrhage and edema were resolved by the treatment. No ocular and/or systemic side effects were evident, and no recrudescence of RAM was seen within the 6 months of follow-up.

Conclusion:

The combined treatment of IVRs and FLPs was successful in the management of symptomatic RAM.

Evaluation of ocular blood flow over time in a treated retinal arterial macroaneurysm using laser speckle flowgraphy

Purpose

To report the changes over time in ocular blood flow quantified by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) in a treated large retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM).

Observations

A 72-year old female presented with sudden decreased vision in the left eye. Fundus examination revealed a RAM and vitreous hemorrhage (VH), which worsened over one month. A vitrectomy was performed to remove the VH, with 20% sulfur hexafluoride injected into the vitreous cavity. The VH recurred two weeks later and the RAM was found to have enlarged from one-quarter disc diameter (DD) to three DDs during a second vitrectomy. The RAM subsequently shrunk spontaneously to one DD without recurrent VH during the following 2 weeks. Beginning 4 weeks after the second vitrectomy we performed serial LSFG examinations of the RAM and found that the mean blur rate (MBR) of the RAM and retinal flow volume (RFV) in both the feeding arteriole and draining venule decreased as the RAM continued to involute.

Conclusions and importance

MBR and arteriolar and venular RFV measured by LSFG decreased with RAM involution. Longitudinal followup of blood flow by LSFG may be useful for noninvasive evaluation of the stability of RAMs.

OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND FOLLOW-UP OF RETINAL ARTERIAL MACROANEURYSMS

PURPOSE

To describe optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings in retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) associated with macular edema and to correlate OCTA findings with conventional multimodal imaging.

METHODS

The clinical course, conventional multimodal imaging findings including fundus color photography, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (Spectralis; Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany), fluorescein angiography (Heidelberg Engineering), and OCTA (Optovue, Inc, Freemont, CA) findings at baseline and during the follow-up of two eyes (two patients) with symptomatic RAM associated with macular edema were documented.

RESULTS

Two eyes of 2 patients, both women, aged 82 and 46 years, which presented with progressive visual decline, were included. On conventional multimodal imaging, exudative RAM with macular edema and lipid exudation were visible in both included eyes. On OCTA, the flow in the two RAM was detected at baseline. Case 1 was treated by focal laser photocoagulation. One month after treatment, fluorescein angiography showed RAM occlusion. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed a RAM and retinal thinning and a decreased central foveal thickness, resulting in visual acuity improvement. On OCTA, no flow was detectable in the RAM at 1-month follow-up. Case 2 was not treated at baseline. In this eye, no flow was detected on OCTA at 2-month follow-up. This suggests a spontaneous occlusion, which was confirmed by fluorescein angiography.

CONCLUSION

Optical coherence tomography angiography is able to detect the presence or absence of flow signal within RAMs, which may both decrease the need for dye angiography in selected cases with exudative RAM and help in treatment decision making.

Case Report: Perifoveal Exudative Vascular Anomalous Complex in a Chinese Patient with Diabetes Mellitus

SIGNIFICANCE

Perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex (PEVAC) is a recently described macular entity, which can be confused with other well-known vascular lesions such as retinal angiomatous proliferation. Perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex is more common than previously believed and is usually unresponsive to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment. Clinicians should be aware of this disorder.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to report a case of PEVAC using multimodal imaging in a Chinese patient with diabetes mellitus but without diabetic retinopathy, followed by a brief review of the relevant literature.

CASE REPORT

A 53-year-old Chinese woman with a 7-year history of diabetes mellitus presented with complaints of a 1-month history of deterioration of visual acuity in her right eye. Complete ophthalmic examination, including fundus examination of the right eye, revealed an isolated lesion immediately temporal to the fovea, accompanied by small hemorrhages and small, hard intraretinal exudates. Fluorescein fundus angiography revealed a well-defined hyperfluorescent lesion in the early phase but with leakage in the late phase. Optical coherence tomography revealed an oval lesion with a hyperreflective wall and relatively dark lumen, intraretinal cystic spaces, and hard exudates. Two intravitreal injections of aflibercept resulted in reduced blood flow in the PEVAC lesion, but with more hemorrhaging and hard exudates and no improvement in visual acuity.

CONCLUSIONS

Perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex is an isolated, perifoveal, aneurysmal abnormality. It can occur in healthy patients, in addition to those with diabetes mellitus without retinopathy. In contrast to similar macular vascular anomalies, PEVAC does not typically respond to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

Direct navigated laser photocoagulation as primary treatment for retinal arterial macroaneurysms

OBJECTIVES

To compare the efficacy and safety of conventional and navigated laser photocoagulation as the primary treatment option for retinal arteriolar macroaneurysm (RAM).

METHODS

Eleven (9 male and 2 females, mean age 65.1 ± 12.1 years) and 17 (13 male and 4 females, mean age 66.2 ± 8.9 years) patients were included in conventional laser photocoagulation (CLP) and navigated laser photocoagulation (NLP) groups, respectively. The primary outcome measures were LogMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness at the end of the follow-up. The secondary outcome measure was total laser energy applied during the procedure.

RESULTS

At the end of the mean follow-up of 11.4 ± 4.0 months, baseline LogMAR BCVA increased significantly from 0.65 ± 0.14 to 0.26 ± 0.12 (p < 0.001) in CLP group and from 0.57 ± 0.33 to 0.29 ± 0.34 (p < 0.001) in NLP group. Central retinal thickness decreased significantly from 514.5 ± 53.2 µm to 295.3 ± 11.3 µm (p < 0.001) and from 494.0 ± 111.2 µm to 285.8 ± 51.4 µm (p < 0.001) in CLP and NLP group, respectively. Total laser energy and number of laser burns applied per procedure in NLP group was statistically significantly lower than in CLP group (0.28 ± 0.13 J vs 0.59 ± 0.06 J, p < 0.001 and 28.5 ± 14.2 burns vs 48.9 ± 5.1 burns, respectively, p < 0.001). No adverse events related to laser treatment was noted in study groups during the follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated superiority of navigated laser photocoagulation compared to conventional laser photocoagulation in primary treatment of RAM which results from similar efficacy and safety of both techniques with lower mean total laser energy and number of laser burns required for navigated laser photocoagulation.