Type 1 idiopathic macular telangiectasia associated with type 3 neovascularization

PROGRESSION OF RETINAL ISCHEMIA IN A CASE OF MACULAR TELANGIECTASIA TYPE 1 AFTER RANIBIZUMAB INJECTION: OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY FINDINGS

PURPOSE

To describe a case of a 68-year-old man with macular telangiectasia (MacTel) Type 1 in the right eye, showing an increase in capillary ischemia after intravitreal ranibizumab.

METHODS

The patient underwent complete ophthalmologic evaluation, including best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior segment and fundus examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography at baseline and on each visit. Fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline. The patient was followed up on monthly bases for 22 months.

RESULTS

The patient presented a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/80 in the right eye and of 20/25 in the left eye at baseline. In the right eye, the fluorescein angiography images showed perifoveal capillary ectasia, late-frames dye leakage, and enlargement of the foveal avascular zone. The OCT showed intraretinal pseudocysts and microaneurysms, and the OCT angiography showed vascular rarefaction, capillary dropout, and capillary ectasia of the superficial plexus. After 16 months of follow-up and four ranibizumab injections, the best-corrected visual acuity was 20/60, and the OCT angiography disclosed a further enlargement of the foveal avascular zone area and increased capillary obliteration in the perifoveal nasal area.

CONCLUSION

Optical coherence tomography angiography may represent an indispensable diagnostic technique, complementary to traditional imaging, in the evaluation of the effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in patients with MacTel Type 1.

Unusual Presentation of Type 1 Idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia

Purpose. To report unusual presentation of type 1A idiopathic macular telangiectasia (IMT). Methods. Two middle-aged women with bilateral IMT were examined. Results. Both patients presented with a gradual vision loss in both eyes. Fundus examination was unremarkable in one case and showed small macular telangiectasia in both eyes in the other case. Fluorescein angiography (FA) revealed early bilateral macular punctuated hyperfluorescence corresponding to the dilated capillaries in both cases. FA and fundus examination confirmed also the absence of vascular abnormalities in the middle or anterior fundus periphery in one case. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) showed cystoid macular edema in both cases. No signs of retinal vein occlusions were detected in both cases and other differential diagnoses were excluded. Based on these findings, the patients were diagnosed with bilateral type 1A IMT according to Gass and Blodi classification and were treated with intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections and focal laser photocoagulation. Twelve months later, SD-OCT revealed partial regression of the exudative signs and significant VA improvement. Conclusion. We described two patients with an unusual presentation of type 1A IMT with bilateral presentation, affecting two middle-aged women, with occult and without peripheral involvement in one case. The description of more cases of bilateral type 1 IMT should be helpful to more precisely define the pathophysiologic mechanism that could be different from a localized Coats' disease of the macula area.